• Exercise Peace Mission 2018, the joint military exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), ended in Russia
• The eight-member states undertaking joint training on combating terrorism.

Significance:

• It will play a positive role in enhancing the ability of all member states to work together to cope with new threats and challenges, promoting the SCO’s defence and security cooperation to go further both in substance and depth, and safeguarding regional peace and stability.
• The joint exercise will strengthen mutual confidence, interoperability and enable sharing of best practices among armed forces of the SCO nations.
• The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threat in urban counter terrorist scenario.
• This is the first time India and Pakistan participated in the exercise which brings stability between the two countries which was significant to the peace and development of the region and the whole world.

SCO:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed during the St. Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002, and entered into force on September 2003
• The status of a full member of the Organization was granted to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan during the Astana summit
• The SCO’s main goals are as follows: strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.

Member States:

• The Republic of India
• The Republic of Kazakhstan
• The People’s Republic of China
• The Kyrgyz Republic
• The Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• The Russian Federation
• The Republic of Tajikistan and
• The Republic of Uzbekistan