Army Chief Gen Naravane holds talks with top military commander of Kenya

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Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya Gen Robert Kariuki Kibochi and Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Monday held wide-ranging talks on ways to expand defence cooperation between the two countries, officials said.

Gen Kibochi is on a five-day visit to India from Monday during which he is scheduled to hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the three service chiefs.

Army officials said Gen Naravane and Gen Kibochi discussed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and ways to deepen it further.

"India is the first country that the Chief of Defence Staff of Kenya is visiting outside of Africa, after he assumed Command in May earlier this year," the Army said in a statement.

Ongoing areas of defence cooperation between the two countries include capacity

building, counter-terrorism, UN Peace Keeping Operations and cyber security.

"Considering that India and Kenya are mature democracies and have professional armed forces there is a lot of convergence of thought between the two nations. The visit will cement the already strong bilateral ties between the two countries," the Army said.

As a young officer, Gen Kibochi had done his 'Signal Officers Degree in Telecommunications Engineering' course at the Military College of Telecommunications Engineering in Mhow from 1984-1987.