Indian Army chief meets Nepal president, PM

The visiting Indian Army chief Gen. Bikram Singh Thursday called on Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at their respective offices and discussed a wide range of issues, including defence cooperation between the two close neighbours.

Gen. Bikram Singh, who arrived in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit Thursday morning, also met his Nepali counterpart, Gen. Gaurav Sumsher Rana, according to the Nepal Army.

The visiting Indian Army chief held a meeting with Gen. Rana at Nepal Army headquarters where the two chiefs discussed the historic ties between the two armies, further strengthening of relations between the two armies and expansion of military cooperation, said a statement issued by the Nepal Army here.

Gen. Bikram Singh also paid a courtesy call on President Yadav and Prime Minister Koirala in the course of which strengthening of military ties and defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed.

On Friday, he will leave for Saljhandi in Rupandehi district of southern Nepal to observe the joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran-VI' between the two countries' armies and will leave for New Delhi the same day, according to the Nepal Army statement.

Such high-level visits from the neighbouring country contribute to mutual relations between the two countries and will deepen the ties between Nepal and India that have been existing since long, the Nepal Army statement said.