General Naravane visits Kathmandu, aims at strengthening India, Nepal ties

Indian Army Chief, General MM Naravane reached in Kathmandu on Wednesday considering the three-day visit for further strengthening the strategic and defence cooperation between India and Nepal. Gen Naravane, was specifically invited to Nepal, by counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa.

Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Indian Army posted a tweet, “General MM Naravane #COAS proceeded on a three-day visit to #Nepal. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic and defense cooperation between the two countries. The COAS will be conferred with honorary rank of General of Nepali Army tomorrow.”

General Naravane, whilst his visit in Nepal, will be bestowed with the rank of honorary General of Nepali Army. The honor will be given by Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during a ceremony on Thursday.

During his three-day visit, General Naravane will take time to pay tribute to the Martyr’s Memorial in the Army Pavillion, receiving a guard of honor at Army headquarters and also have discussion with Nepali counterpart, General Thapa.

He is also scheduled to have a talk with student officers at the Army Command and Staff College in Shivpuri, and also meet Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is the Defence Minister of the Himalayan country.

It has been a tradition since 1950s to award the highest rank to the chiefs for each other’s militaries, which India and Nepal have persistently kept up by India and Nepal from 1950 post the visit of the then Indian Army Chief General KM Cariappa to Nepal.