By Santosh Ghimire
New Delhi, Aug 30: India has stepped up its military engagement with neighbouring Nepal with an inter-services delegation calling on Nepals top leadership, including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The visit precedes a visit to Kathmandu by Indian Army Chief, Manoj Pandey, starting on September 4. This will be the first visit of Gen. Pande after his latest appointment on April 30 this year.
During Gen. Pande's visit, the two sides are scheduled to discuss various aspects including logistical support to the Nepali Army, according to officials privy to this development.
The visiting delegation's high-profile engagement included calls on Finance Minister Janardan Sharma and Chief of the Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma on Monday.
The meetings largely dwelt on ways to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation between Nepal and India, according to Nepali officials.
Arun Kumar Subedi, a foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Deuba, said that the prime minister expressed gratitude to India for its continued assistance to Nepal's socio-economic endeavours.
"Prime Minister Deuba also expressed happiness over the progress made in various facets of bilateral cooperation including defence," Subedi told India Narrative on Tuesday morning.
In his meeting with the Nepali prime minister, leader of the Indian delegation Air Vice Marshal Tejveer Singh expressed happiness over the state of traditional military to military ties between the two countries.
As part of the trip, the Indian military delegation is scheduled to visit a military barrack at Nepal' Army central command headquarters in Pokhara on Tuesday.
Likewise, the military delegation will also visit cultural heritage sites including Pashupatinath Temple and Kathmandu Durbar Square.
The 31-member visiting Indian delegation includes students participating in the ‘National Defence Course-62' that was held at the National Defence College in New Delhi, according to a press statement issued by the Nepali Army headquarters.
"We are confident that this kind of visit from the neighbouring friendly nations helps boost military-to-military relations and promote Nepal's tourism as well," read the press statement. Wrapping up its five-day visit to Nepal, the Indian military delegation is flying back home on Wednesday.