Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel, is in India for a four-day visit from Wednesday. The visit is aimed at enhancing the bilateral military cooperation between India and Nepal and exploring new avenues for defence collaboration.
According to the defene ministry, the visit of General Sigdel marks a key step in further strengthening the defence ties between Nepal and India.
On Wednesday, he will interact with Chief of the Army Staff of Indian Army General Upendra Dwivedi. He will also be briefed about India’s security perspective by the Director General Strategic Planning (DGSP) and on the Indian defence industry by the Additional Director General of Army Design Bureau.
He is also scheduled to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of the Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh during his visit.
On Thursday, General Sigdel will attend the Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, wherein as per a unique tradition between the Indian Army and Nepali Army, he will be conferred with the honourary rank of General of the Indian Army by President Draupadi Murmu.
The tradition, which began in 1950, reflects the strong ties between the militaries of India and Nepal. During his recent visit to Nepal, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi was conferred the honorary rank of 'General of the Nepal Army' by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel.
On Friday, he will visit Defence Industries and witness Static Equipment Display in Pune. He will engage with representatives of the Indian defence industry.
His other engagements during the visit to India include a visit to Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
