Six member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Wednesday agreed to stage a joint anti-terror military exercise in 2007 in Russia, according to a joint communique.

The joint communique was signed in the wake of the SCO defense ministers' meeting, which groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

An expert group will be set up to coordinate the preparation and implementation of the joint war game, the communique said.

"The military exercise is not targeted at a third country," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told the press following the meeting, stressing the SCO is not a military or political bloc.

Except Uzbekistan, other five countries of the SCO held their first-ever joint anti-terror exercise within the framework of the SCO in August 2003, with the first phase in Kazakhstan and the second in China.

As new threats and challenges, such as terrorism, separatism, extremism and cross-border crimes, are becoming increasingly prominent, the regional and international cooperation are required, the communique said.

The SCO should become an effective mechanism for member countries to tackle new challenges and threats and safeguard international and regional security, the communique said.

The SCO member countries will continue to step up the cooperation in defense and security by carrying out the "Shanghai Spirit" which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for diverse cultures and seeking common development, the communique said.

Stressing the importance of expanding dialogue and exchange among defense departments of the SCO member countries, defense ministers decided that they will maintain the current exchange mechanism and hold more seminars and meetings to exchange views on regional security.

The next SCO defense minister meeting will be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2007, according to the communique.

Source: Xinhua