BEIJING. Nov 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are becoming more trusting toward each other in military issues, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's first Asia department, told journalists on Thursday.
"Representatives of Russia, China and these three Central Asian countries unanimously stated that they are satisfied with the growing level of mutual trust in the military sphere," he said.
The five nations' diplomatic and military experts signed a protocol following a session of the Joint Control Group in Beijing, said Verchenko, who leads the Russian government's delegation to the group.
"As in previous years, no violations of earlier signed agreements on confidence-building measures in the military sphere across the entire 100-kilometer border section have been reported in 2006," the Russian diplomat said.
The Joint Control Group was established by the five countries in 1997.
"This mechanism is unique because it provided the foundation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which marked its fifth anniversary in the summer of 2006," Verchenko said.