BEIJING (AFP) -- China, Russia and four Central Asian countries agreed Wednesday to hold a joint anti-terrorism military exercise next year in Russia, state media reported.

The agreement was reached during a meeting of defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security group involving China, Russia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Xinhua news agency said.

The six nations signed a joint communique saying the event would be held in Russia.

Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying the exercise could simulate one member country being attacked by armed groups, with the other countries in the organization coming to its aid.

"The armed forces of SCO member states should, if needed, help neighbouring states block and possibly destroy large armed groups," Ivanov said, according to Itar-Tass. "The threat of SCO borders being crossed by armed groups is absolutely real."

The six nations were planning to stage the drill in the Volga-Ural military district and it would involve aircraft, he said.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 1996 as a vehicle for inter-governmental cooperation in Central Asia and was spearheaded by Russia and China, which both share problems with Muslim separatists.

One of its aims is to seek cooperation from the Central Asian states, as some separatists have used those countries as hideouts.

Terrorism, religious extremism and separatism would be the focus of Wednesday's defense ministers' meeting, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

Some observers believe the organization is meant to serve as a counterbalance to the United States, which has extended its military influence in the region with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as setting up military bases in other Central Asian countries.

But Ivanov emphasized that the exercises were not aimed at any third countries.

"They are open and transparent and should help stabilize the situation and strengthen the rule of law," Ivanov said.

The exercises will be the first to involve all member countries of the organization.

Except for Uzbekistan, the other five countries in the organization held their first joint anti-terror exercise in 2003, with the first phase in Kazakhstan and the second in China.