Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday held discussions with his Nepalese counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa in Kathmandu. Gen. Naravane was accorded a special guard of honour and was conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army.
“Both delegations discussed Army-to-Army relations and enhancing bilateral defence cooperation. He was also given a comprehensive briefing by senior officers of the Nepali Army”, a press note from the Embassy of India stated.
The Indian delegation presented medical equipment for two field hospitals of the Nepali Army.
Nepal is home to a large number of Gorkha soldiers of the Indian Army and the two militaries have maintained warm fraternal ties that remain undisturbed by bilateral political ups and downs.
Medical equipment
India’s medical consignment includes X-Ray machines, computed radiography systems, ICU ventilators, video endoscopy units, anaesthesia machines, laboratory equipment and ambulances, the embassy said. The items form part of an army-to-army arrangement for ventilators agreed in July.
Gen. Thapa reciprocated by gifting 100,000 ‘made in Nepal’ medical masks to the Indian guest.
Gen. Naravane was honoured in a special event at Nepalese President’s official residence ‘Shital Niwas’. He was conferred with the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army. “He was also presented a sword and scroll during the function. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Indian Ambassador Vinay M. Kwatra and other senior officials of both the countries”, said the Embassy of India.
The event is part of a decades-old tradition between the two armies, under which the chiefs are conferred honorary ranks of Generals.
Gen. Thapa received the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army from President Ram Nath Kovind in 2019.
Gen. Naravane is on a three-day visit to the Himalayan country, which has been caught in a territorial dispute over the Kalapani region of India. The visit is of special significance as he is the first high-level official to visit Nepal in almost a year since the border dispute erupted last November.
Gen. Naravane is expected to meet Mr. Oli.
