Indian Army chief to visit Nepal next week

Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh would visit Nepal next week to attend an ongoing joint military exercise being held in the country's western region.
Though the date of Singh's arrival is tentatively fixed for March 13, a detailed itinerary of the two-day visit is yet to be finalised, said sources at Army headquarters here.
He is expected to attend the closing ceremony of the Surya Kiran-VI that commenced yesterday at the Integrated Army Training Center (IATC) in Saljhandi of Rupandehi district, according to Nepal Army spokesperson Jagdish Pokharel.
The two-week-long exercise has a strategic importance and is centred around jungle warfare, anti-insurgency and rescue operations.

An infantry battalion of the Indian Army comprising 250 personnel and 200 personnel of the Nepal Army are carrying out the exercise that concludes on March 18.
Gen Singh will meet his Nepalese counterpart Gen Gaurav Shumsher Rana and other senior defence officials during his stay in the himalayan country.

They are expected to discuss matters relating to mutual cooperation against growing security challenges in the region and share experiences to strengthen bilateral ties.
In September-October last year, Surya Kiran-V was held at Pithoragarh in India.
The exercise is held alternatively in Nepal and India. So far, three such exercises have been held in India and two in Nepal.

The joint military exercise between the two countries had commenced in 2011.