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Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Nepal next week for four days, where Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel will host him. The visit aims to further expand the close defence and strategic relationship between the two countries.
Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel will confer the honorary rank of “General of the Nepal Army” on General Dwivedi during his visit. This will continue an age-old tradition that began in 1950. It reflects the strong ties between the two militaries.
The Army Chief’s visit to Nepal next week will mark another significant chapter in the evolving military diplomacy between the two nations, sources in the defence establishment said.
They expect the visit to strengthen the defence ties. It will pave the way for continued collaboration on multiple fronts. These include military exercises, training programmes, and strategic discussions on regional security concerns.
General Dwivedi will hold extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, and meet the top political leadership of the Himalayan nation.
Strategic Partnership
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship.
Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal’s access to the sea is through India and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.
India and Nepal share a special relationship, reinforced by cultural, historical and geographical factors. This bond has evolved into a robust military partnership that plays a key role in enhancing regional security, the sources said.
General Dwivedi is also likely to visit the Shri Muktinath temple in Mustang region of Nepal.
India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, also wanted to visit the temple. In his memory, the temple installed a bell named ‘Bipin Bell’ in February 2023.
Nepal has continued its close ties with India, with regular exchanges of military training, visits and defence modernisation.
India and Nepal are critical partners in enhancing mutual military capabilities, particularly through training programmes.
General Dwivedi will focus on the ongoing defence modernisation in both militaries through various initiatives during his visit.
Both countries offer courses to military personnel in reputed military institutions. This collaboration has seen over 300 Nepali Army personnel trained in India this year alone, in specialised fields.
Similarly, the India Army personnel also undergo courses in Nepal.
Also See: After two high-level engagements, Nepal and India look for a boundary meeting
Strengthening India-Nepal Military Cooperation
A key pillar of India-Nepal military cooperation is the annual ‘Surya Kiran’ joint military exercise, which enhances interoperability between the two armed forces.
This exercise, which focuses on counterterrorism, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, will see its 18th edition in December in Nepal, the sources said.
They plan to expand the scope and complexity of this exercise, providing an opportunity to further improve the operational synergy between the two armies.
India has been supporting Nepal in its military modernisation. It has supplied various forms of military hardware, including small arms, vehicles, and advanced training simulators.
The Nepal-India bilateral consultative group on security issues has held 15 meetings to discuss defence cooperation. The two countries have met several equipment needs under this forum, the sources said.
General Dwivedi’s visit will provide an opportunity to further enhance these engagements. This includes discussions on improving disaster response mechanisms. It will also focus on expanding regional security cooperation, they said.
The large population of Indian ex-servicemen in Nepal also plays an important role in strengthening the ties between the two countries.
This news is sourced from The Indian Express and is intended for informational purposes only.
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