BEIJING, June 7 (INP): Pakistan, India and other member States of the SCO will participate in the upcoming joint military drill dubbed Peace Mission 2018 to promote mutual trust against terrorist threats and to maintain regional peace and stability, says a report published in Chinese Media. The drill’s command post exercise will take place at the Chebarkulsky training ground in the Ural Mountains region in August. Chiefs of general staff of the SCO nations will also hold a meeting during the joint military drills, it said. The exercise will follow the 18th SCO Summit, scheduled for June 9 and 10 in Qingdao, Shandong province. The exercises are biannual, multinational drills with the goal of enhancing counterterrorism coordination and cooperation among the eight member countries, which include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The drill does not target any third party. The last exercise was held in Kyrgyzstan in September 2016. The 2018 exercise will be the first for India and Pakistan since becoming full members of the SCO in 2017. It also will be the first time India and Pakistan take part in a military exercise together since their independence, though their militaries have previously worked on United Nations peacekeeping missions. Li Xing, a professor of international relations at Beijing Normal University, said India and Pakistan in the joint exercise represents a new height in security cooperation through the SCO. “India and Pakistan have had many conflicts, but the SCO exercise can facilitate positive interactions between the two militaries and help ease tensions between the two countries,” Li said. Li Li, a researcher of South Asian countries at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said many exchange mechanisms between Pakistan and India have been halted due to constant border tensions. “It is very rare for the Indian and Pakistani militaries to interact with each other,” she said. “The SCO is a great platform for member nations to build mutual trust, improve their ability to tackle terrorist threats and maintain regional peace and security,” thereport added. President Xi Jinping in a recent statement hoped that the SCO will emerge as a strong force in promoting peace and stability in the region as well as improving the livelihood of the people. INP/J