TASHKENT, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)'s member states will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year, the organization said Thursday.
The decision to hold the joint exercise "Pabbi-Antiterror-2021" was announced during the 36th meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Delegations of the competent authorities of India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the RATS Executive Committee attended the meeting.
Representatives of the SCO member states have also approved the draft program of cooperation for 2022-2024 to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism, according to a RATS statement.
"Decisions have been made to improve cooperation between the competent authorities of the SCO member states in identifying and suppressing channels that finance terrorist activities," it said.
RATS, headquartered in Tashkent, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The next meeting of the Council of the RATS SCO is scheduled to be held in September in Uzbekistan.