The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June 26. In attendance will be the Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan Taalaybek Omuraliyev, the Defence Minister of Kazakhstan, Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, the Defence Minister of China, Chang Wanquan, the Defence Minister of Russia, Sergey Shoygu, the Defence Minister of Tajikistan, Sherali Khayrulloev, the First Deputy Minister of Defence of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Normatov, the SCO Secretary General, Dmitry Mezentsev, and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Terrorism Structure, Zhang Xinfeng.
The Ministers are expected to hold discussions on issues of defence cooperation among the SCO member states.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental organisation which was founded on June 15, 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Shanghai. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five. The members renamed the organisation after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001.
India was granted an observer status at the SCO at the 2005 SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. India has also expressed willingness for a full membership at the SCO.