Army Chief Gen Naravane meets Nepal counterpart, discusses ways to boost cooperation between armies

Indian Army Chief Gen. M.M. Naravane met his Nepalese counterpart Gen. Purna Chandra Thapa on Thursday and mentioned measures to additional bolster the present bond of friendship and cooperation between the 2 armies.

Gen Naravane is presently in Kathmandu on a three-day go to on the invitation of Thapa.

His go to is essentially aimed toward resetting the bilateral ties that got here beneath extreme pressure following a bitter border row.

He met Thapa on the Chief of Army Staff’s workplace right here.

They exchanged views on problems with bilateral pursuits and mentioned measures to additional strengthen the present bond of friendship and cooperation between the 2 armies, in accordance to the Nepal Army headquarters’ press assertion.

He was additionally briefed in regards to the historical past and present roles of the Nepali Army, in accordance to the assertion.

Naravane, who arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday, took half in numerous occasions organised within the Army Headquarters on Thursday.

After paying his tribute to the martyrs within the Army Pavilion early Thursday morning, he obtained a Guard of Honour within the Army Headquarters.

He additionally planted a Pecan tree sapling within the Army Headquarter premise, retaining the custom of earlier senior-level army guests.

He additionally handed over ambulances and medical gear, together with ventilators, for 2 discipline hospitals to the Nepal Army.

Thapa additionally reciprocated by handing over 100,000 medical masks made in Nepal and an idol of Lord Buddha, an emblem of peace to Naravane.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will confer the honorary rank of General of Nepali Army on General Naravane later within the day.

He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Friday.

India’s resolution to ship the Army chief to Nepal to reset the ties is seen as half of a bigger train by New Delhi to rejuvenate relations with Myanmar, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan within the wake of higher efforts by China to develop its affect within the area.

The ties between the 2 nations got here beneath pressure after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically essential highway connecting the Lipulekh cross with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.

Nepal protested the inauguration of the highway claiming that it handed by its territory.

Days later, Nepal got here out with the brand new map displaying Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.

After Nepal launched the map, India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioning Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims is not going to be acceptable to it.

In June, Nepal’s Parliament accredited the brand new political map of the nation that includes areas which India maintains belong to it.

India termed as untenable the “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims by Nepal.

India stated Nepal’s motion violates an understanding reached between the 2 nations to resolve the boundary points by talks.

Nepal Prime Minister Oli has been asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to “reclaim” them from India.

The Lipulekh cross is a far western level close to Kalapani, a disputed border space between Nepal and India.

Both India and Nepal declare Kalapani as an integral a part of their territory – India as a part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district and Nepal as a part of Dharchula district.