Army Chief General MM Naravane to gift medical aid to Nepal during his 3-day visit

Army Chief General MM Naravane to gift medical aid to Nepal during his 3-day visit

• By Staff Writer

Army Chief General MM Naravane to gift medical aid to Nepal during his 3-day visit

KATHMANDU: Army Chief General MM Naravane will gift medical equipment and medicines to Nepali Army during his three-day visit, an official said.

General Naravane, who is expected to arrive in capital Kathmandu on Wednesday afternoon on the invitation of his Nepali Counterpart Purna Chandra Thapa, will hand over the medical aid during a closed indoor ceremony on Thursday.

"Aid includes different kinds of medicines and other medical equipment. With the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Nepal, these medical aids are specially meant for them. It is the continued gesture and commitment of Government of India to help neighboring countries to fight the pandemic," a senior official from the Indian Mission in Nepal told ANI.

The aid will be handed over during the close-in-door-ceremony held in Nepal Army Head office on Thursday morning, the official confirmed.

General Naravane would be accorded the rank of honorary General of the Nepali Army by Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during the ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

General Naravane also will pay homage at the Martyr's Memorial in the Army Pavilion, receiving a guard of honor in Army Head office and also hold meetings with his Nepali Counterpart Purna Chandra Thapa.

The Indian Army chief is also set to address student officers at the Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri. He will also call on Nepali Prime Minister as well as incumbent Defense Minister KP Sharma Oli during the visit.

Conferring the highest rank to the chiefs of each other's militaries is a heritage that has been followed by Nepal and India since 1950 after then Indian Army chief General KM Cariappa visited Nepal.

Ahead of his visit, General Naravane said that his visit to Nepal will go a long way in strengthening the "bonds and friendships" that the armies of the two countries cherish.

Speaking to ANI, he said that it is going to be a great honor to be conferred with honouring rank of 'General of the Nepal Army' by Nepal President Bhandari.