Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will make fresh efforts to cooperate in national defense and security in a drive to deal with an array of challenges, Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said here Wednesday.

"We strongly believe that as long as leaders of all member countries work closely with each other, the SCO will definitely make more contributions to the establishment of a harmonious region in Central Asia," Cao, also vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission and state councilor, said at the defense ministers’ meeting of the SCO.

This is the fourth defense ministers’ meeting of the SCO, since it was founded in Shanghai in 2001.

Defense Ministers Anatoly Serdyukov, of Russia, Daniyal Akhmetov, of Kazakhstan, Ismail Isakov, of Kyrgyzstan, Sherali Khairulloev, of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Defense Minister R. Niyazov attended the meeting.

The Chinese defense minister told the gathering that to seek peace, development and encourage cooperation have become an irresistible trend of our times, and the world remains peaceful and stable in general.

He said China’s armed forces will make further contributions to security cooperation within the SCO, and safeguard the region’s safety and stability.

The meeting also discussed the security status in Central Asia, and the priority of cooperation among SCO members.

A joint communique was signed after the meeting, China’s Xinhua reported.

In the document, the ministers agreed that terrorism, separatism, extremism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and international crime pose severe threats to regional and international peace and stability, although the global society is making efforts to safeguard peace.

The ministers reached a consensus that SCO members will take a further step in expanding security exchanges and cooperation on the basis of mutual trust, mutual benefits, equality, consultation and common development.

They also applauded Russia’s contributions in organizing the Peace Mission 2007 anti-terrorist military exercise among the armed forces of SCO members.

According to the communique, the next SCO defense ministers’ meeting will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 2008.

The SCO comprises six member countries, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It pledges to enhance security, trade, cultural, military and judicial cooperation among member countries.