Army Chief Meets Nepal PM, Discusses Bilateral Military Ties

Army chief General Dhiraj Seth met with Nepal's Prime Minister and Defence Minister Balendra Shah in Kathmandu, discussing ways to bolster military ties amid strained relations between the two neighbours. The meeting, held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, was attended by Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava. Sources reported that the discussions centered on mutual interests and strengthening bilateral military relations.

General Seth, on a four-day visit to Nepal at the invitation of Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel, also paid a visit to the Nepali Army Command and Staff College in Shivapuri, sharing insights on professional military education and contemporary security challenges with faculty and student officers. He conferred an honorary Nepali Army general rank upon himself during the visit.

The visit follows a period of unease in India-Nepal relations, primarily over the dispute over border areas of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani. While India claims these territories as part of Uttarakhand, Nepal considers them its own. Despite this, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu emphasized that the army chiefs' visit reaffirmed the unique and historic defense relationship between India and Nepal, built on shared values, trust, and longstanding military-to-military relations.

The meeting comes amid the unique military tradition that dates back to 1950, where the army chiefs of the two countries have been conferred honorary general ranks in each other's armies as a symbol of their enduring defense ties. Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel had bestowed the honorary rank on General Seth during a ceremony on Monday. General Seth had previously met with General Sigdel at Nepal Army headquarters, where they discussed matters of mutual interest.

However, the visit also highlights the strained India-Nepal ties. Prime Minister Shah had mentioned in Parliament in May that Kathmandu was discussing the border issue with India, China, and the UK, with New Delhi rejecting the involvement of third parties in resolving the boundary dispute. Shah first met Indian Ambassador Srivastava this month, stressing the importance of Nepal's "historic relationship" with India.

Prior to this visit, Shah had not visited either India or China since becoming Prime Minister, deviating from the usual practice of Nepalese prime ministers visiting India first.