Nepal Army chief visiting India, Indian Prez to confer him honorary title of general
By Kosh R. Koirala from Nepal
Kathmandu, 08 December, (Asiantribune.com):
Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatra Man Singh Gurung is leaving for India for a week long visit starting December 11.
Indian President Pratibha Patil is scheduled to give away a title of honorary general of the Indian Army along with a guard of honor from the Indian Army on December 14.
The army chief Gurung is making eight-day visit to the southern neighbor at the invitation of Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor.
The Indian and Nepal armies regard each other’s chiefs as the honorary generals of their own armies mainly due to their close proximity.
According to Public Relations Directorate Relations of Nepal Army, Gurung will attend a passing-out ceremony of Indian Army cadets at Indian Military Academy on December 12 in Deharadun as a special guest.
Officials at Ministry of Foreign Affairs said army chief Gurung will organize a banquet on behalf of Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor at the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi on December 16. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with high-level army officials and security advisors during his stay in India.
The visit of the Nepal Army chief comes in the wake of India agreeing to resume the non-lethal military aid to Nepal. The aid was in hold after the former king Gyanendra usurped executive powers by dismissing the elected government in February 1, 2005.
The agreement was reached during a meeting of Nepal-India Consultative Group on Security Issues that concluded on Sunday in Kathmandu.
India had suspended military assistance to the Nepal Army, including arms and aircraft provided at a 70 percent subsidiary, protesting against the former king’s move.
Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari, during her visit to India in August, had asked India to resume the stalled military assistance
Gurung’s visit is expected to strengthen the decades-old ties between the two armies that became slack during the former king Gyanendra’s attempt four years ago to seize absolute power with an army-backed coup.
- Asian Tribune -
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