Army chief concludes Nepal visit

KATHMANDU: Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag today concluded his three-day official visit to Nepal during which he assured the country's leadership of India's commitment to capacity and capability building of Nepal's army.

During his visit, Gen Singh held bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart Gen Rajendra Chhetri and other senior government officials on military and security issues.

He was visiting the Himalayan nation, leading a delegation of the Indian Army at the invitation of Gen Chhetri. The visit was aimed at boosting India's military and security ties with the landlocked country.

During his stay, Gen Singh paid a courtesy call to President Bidya Devi Bhandari and met Defence Minister Balkrishna Khand.

He also called on Prime Minister Prachanda.

"Army chief assured him that we are committed to capability and capacity building of Nepal Army," according to Indian Army sources.

Yesterday, he visited Rupandehi district in western Nepal yesterday, where he observed "Surya Kiran" - a joint military exercise held between Nepal and Indian armies, according to a statement issued by the Nepal Army Headquarters.

Such high-level visits by top Indian military officials have helped deepen military ties between the two countries as well as expand cooperation, the statement said.