Joint SCO Military Exercises Are Exclusively Anti-Terrorist in Nature, Secretary General States

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Earlier, SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev stated to Sputnik that it is incorrect to compare NATO with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as their goals are significantly different.
Sputnik
The SCO conducts joint military exercises, but they are exclusively anti-terrorist in nature, Nurlan Yermekbayev told Sputnik.
"Indeed, the SCO conducts joint border operations, anti-terrorist exercises. Military exercises are also conducted, but they are exclusively anti-terrorist in nature," Yermekbayev said.
Comparing NATO, SCO Wrong, They Differ Greatly in Goals, SCO Secretary General Says
The SCO is an international organization founded in 2001. It includes India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partner states.