SCO countries display high combat potential - Kyrgyz General Staff chief

BISHKEK. KAZINFORM - The contingents of five Shanghai Cooperation Organization member-countries have displayed a high level of combat training at the just-ended military exercise Peace Mission-2016, the chief of Kyrgyzstan's General Staff, Raimberdi Duishenbiyev, said at the closing ceremony, TASS reports.

He said the command agencies of foreign military contingents and units' commanders displayed great skill in promptly handling organizational and practical matters and competence in commanding their contingents while performing common tasks in different conditions, including mountainous terrain.

"The current military-political situation in the world requires timely response to emerging challenges and threats posed by international terrorism and radical extremism," he said. The tasks of the Peace Mission-2016 exercise were formulated accordingly and coped with successfully.

"This is the first time the international exercise Peace Mission was held on such a scale in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. The SCO member-countries displayed their capabilities and combat potential. Peace Mission is in fact a motto of the SCO armed forces and evidence of their determination to settle all conflicts in a civilized way," Duishenbiyev said.

He remarked that such exercises offered a good chance to polish skills and perfect cooperation at different levels.

The joint anti-terrorist exercise Peace Mission-2016 was held at Kyrgyzstan's Edelweiss high altitude proving ground in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan on September 15-21 with some 2,000 troops from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Tajikistan taking part. Three hundred pieces of military equipment, including 40 combat planes and helicopters were used.

"The joint exercise will serve as an important and effective means to expand the range of the multi-lateral military dialog among our countries," Duishenbiyev said.

Source: TASS