Kathmandu, Nepal, August 9, 2022: Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande is arriving in Nepal in the first week of September. An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has confirmed that Indian Army Chief Pande will be here in Kathmandu from September 5 to 7, 2022.
Nepal Army has also confirmed about the visit of Indian Army Chief Pande to Nepal without specifying the date. Yes, Indian Army Chief is arriving in Nepal at the first week of September, spokesperson for the Nepali Army, Narayan Silwal, said while responding to the queries raised by the media.
This will be the first visit of an Indian Army chief to Nepal since he appointed to the post on April 30, 2022. There is a long tradition to visit the neighboring countries- Nepal and India once Army Chiefs get appointment as Army Chief.
As conferring the honorary rank of General on each other's Army Chiefs has remained a customary practice between Nepal and India since in 1950, Indian Army Chief Pande will be conferred with the honorary title of Nepali Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during the visit.
As per the tradition, Chief of the Nepali Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma was conferred with the honorary title of Indian Army by the former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind amid a special function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi in November last year.
Though the issues and agendas of the discussions are not revealed officially, it is said that the Indian Army Chief Pande is scheduled to hold discussions with Nepali counterpart Sharma on various aspects of bilateral issues related to the defense cooperation including logistical support to the Nepali Army.
As the Nepali Army has already made a request to the Indian Army for logistical support including two military helicopters, it is expected that Indian Army Chief Pande would announce some military assistance to the Nepal Army.
