NEW DELHI: Army chief General MM Naravane will be reaching Nepal on Wednesday on a three-day crucial visit in what is being seen as an outreach to mend bilateral ties which came under severe strain following a map row, besides strengthening defence cooperation.
Naravane is visiting Nepal at the official invitation of Nepal Army chief Gen Purnachandra Thapa. During the three-day visit, Naravane will pay homage at the martyrs’ memorial at the Army Pavilion on Thursday. Naravane will also be conferred with the honorary General of the Nepali Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
He will hold formal talks with his Nepalese counterpart at the Nepal Army headquarters on Thursday. Mutual interests between the two armies and bilateral relations will mainly feature during the talk.Expressing his delight on the eve of this trip, Naravane said: “I am sure this visit will go a long way in strengthening the bonds of friendship that the two armies cherish.
I am also grateful for the opportunity to call on the Prime Minister of Nepal.” The Indian Embassy in Nepal said the visit would deepen the long-standing ties and customary bonds of friendship between the two armies. “His visit will also provide an opportunity for both sides to discuss the bilateral defence partnership and explore avenues to further strengthen it for mutual benefit,” Embassy spokesperson Naveen Kumar said.
The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal then came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.