About 10,000 troops from SCO member states to take part in anti-terror drills in Russia

YEKATERINBURG. KAZINFORM About 10,000 troops from the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will take part in the Peace Mission anti-terror drills that will run for the first time at the Yurginsky training ground in the Kemerovo Region in August, Russia’s Central Military District reported on Monday, according to TASS.

«Military representatives of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have signed a joint protocol, following the results of the second round of staff consultations that have ended in the Kemerovo Region. The agreement that has been signed includes the issues of the all-embracing provision for the troops and the scenario of practical stages. About 10,000 troops are expected to take part in the drills,» the press office of the Central Military District said in a statement.

The consultations involved representatives of Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The negotiations were held under the direction of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Central Military District Major-General Rustam Minnekayev, the press office stated.

«During the joint work, the participants [in the consultations] visited the Yurginsky training range to reconnoiter the place of the first stage of the drills. Foreign military representatives also viewed the place of negotiating a water obstacle aboard military hardware. For some participating countries, such experience will be the first,» the statement says.