Army chief begins four-day visit to Tanzania, Kenya on Monday

Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat will begin a four-day visit to Tanzania and Kenya beginning Monday with an aim to explore new areas of military cooperation with the two key African nations, officials said.

The Army chief will be accompanied by a high-level delegation which will interact with senior military and political hierarchy of both countries primarily to "enhance" and "energise" the bilateral defence cooperation, they said.

"The visit to the African countries aims to give impetus to the military-to-military relationship with Tanzania and Kenya which has been nurtured over the years," the Army said in a statement.

In Tanzania, Gen. Rawat will visit key military establishments including the country's National Defence College.

He is scheduled to meet Defence Minister Hussein Ali Mwinyi and Chief of Tanzanian Defence Forces Gen. Venance S Mabeyo among others.