DUSHANBE. June 5 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan has refused to contribute its army units to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Peace Mission 2012 anti-terrorist exercises, which will be held on Tajik territory from June 7 to June 14, Tajik Defense Ministry spokesman Faridun Makhmadaliyev told journalists on Tuesday.
All of the other SCO member states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan - will take part in the maneuvers, he said.
"The exercises will involve more than 2,000 soldiers and officers from SCO countries, military command centers and special operations forces of these countries," he said.
"Army and frontline aviation, heavy armored military hardware and artillery will be used during the exercises," Makhmadaliyev said.
The maneuvers will take place at the Chorukdairon range, located in the Sogd region in northern Tajikistan.
"The exercises are aimed at perfecting the common principles of military command centers' functioning during preparations for joint anti-terrorist exercises in the mountains," he said.
Armed Forces commanders from the organization's five member states and observer countries, as well as diplomats accredited in Tajikistan will watch the exercises, which will be supervised by Tajik Land Force Commander Maj. Gen. Emomali Sobirov.
Local experts have noted the existence of extremely strained relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which, however, are members of SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The Tajik-Uzbek border is mined. The two countries have visa requirements and lack passenger air transport services.