Meetings of Defence Ministers of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an SCO body in accordance with Article 4 and 8 of the SCO Charter adopted on 7 June 2002 (hereinafter referred as the Charter).
The meeting operates in accordance with the Charter, Regulations on the Meetings of Heads of Ministries and/or Agencies of the SCO Member States, the Agreement on Cooperation between the Defence Ministries of the SCO Member States, and other regulator documents adopted within the organisation.
The main tasks and goals of the meeting are to develop trust-based relations in the military field, contribute to ensuring peace, regional stability and security, strengthen confidence-building measures in the military field, and coordinate the SCO member states’ efforts against new challenges and threats to regional security.
The main areas of cooperation include participation in the efforts to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, interaction with the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, exchange of experience of training and use of military contingents under the auspices of the UN and other international organisations, as well as participation in joint military exercises.
Meetings of Defence Ministers of the SCO member states:
1. 14 June 2001, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
2. 15 May 2002, Moscow, Russian Federation. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan.
3. 29 May 2003, Moscow, Russian Federation. Memorandum of the Defence Ministries of the SCO Member States on the Coalition 2003 anti-terror exercise.
4. 27 June 2007, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
5. 15 May 2008, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
6. 29 April 2009, Moscow, Russian Federation. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
7. 17 March 2011, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
8. 26 June 2013, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
9. 1 April 2014, Kayrakkum. Republic of Tajikistan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
10. 30 June 2015, St Petersburg, Russian Federation. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
11. 8 June 2016, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
12. 7 June 2017, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
13. 24 April 2018, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
14. 29 April 2019, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
15. 28 July 2021, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
16. 24 August 2022, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
17. 28 April 2023, New Delhi, Republic of India (hybrid format). Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
18. 26 April 2024, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Joint Communique following the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the SCO Member States.
19. 26 June 2025, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China.