Indian Army chief gets invitation to visit Nepal in Sep

Kathmandu, Aug 15 The Nepal government has decided to extend a formal invitation to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, General Manoj Pande to visit the Himalayan nation next month.

Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said the armies of the two neighbouring countries will decide the convenient date for the visit.

The COAS will be conferred with the honorary title of Nepali Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari as per the long standing tradition between Nepalese and Indian armies.

Giving the highest rank to the chiefs of each other's military is a custom that Nepal and India have followed since 1950 when Indian Army Chief General KM Cariappa visited Nepal.

Nepal's Chief of Army Staff General Prabhuram Sharma, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had already offered his Indian counterpart to visit Kathmandu from September 5 to 8.

However, the date is yet to be approved.

In November last year, COAS Sharma had received the honorary title of General of the Indian Army from the then Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.