New Delhi: In yet another indication of the solid edifice on which the India-Nepal relationship rests, on Friday, when Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane would be interacting with the Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli in Kathmandu, Indian and Chinese military commanders would be likely engaged in "disengagement and de-escalation" talks on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Chushul in eastern Ladakh.
It was General Naravane's remark in May that had put the India-Nepal relationship to test when the army chief seemingly alluded to China as being behind Nepal’s objections to India building a road near the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand. The general had said Nepal was acting "at the behest of someone else".
But that trifling bout of trouble will be history when Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari confers the general rank to the Indian army chief on Thursday.
In keeping with tradition and signifying the unique martial bond that ties India and Nepal, the Indian and the Nepal Army chiefs are designated "honorary generals" of the Nepal and the Indian Army respectively.
Read: Indian Army chief's visit to Nepal to improve ties
On Tuesday evening, General Naravane said in a statement: "I am sure this visit will go a long way in strengthening the bonds of friendship that the two armies cherish. I am also grateful for the opportunity to call on the Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister of Nepal. It is going to be a great honour for me to be conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by the Rt. Hon’ble President of Nepal. I am looking forward eagerly to this visit.”
General Naravane will embark on his Nepal visit on Wednesday while most of the official engagements will pan out on Thursday and Friday.
The Nepal visit is the second visit of the Army chief in the immediate neighbourhood. A month back, he and the foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited Myanmar.
Read: Oli-Prachanda rift resurfaces; PM hints at splitting ruling party
Interestingly General Naravane's Kathmandu visit follows on the heels of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Kumar Goel on October 21 when he met PM Oli. RAW is India's external intelligence agency.
During this visit, General Naravane besides closely interacting with his Nepali counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa, will also be meeting both the Nepal President and the PM.
