Indian Army Chief Pande returns home

Kathmandu, Sept 8: The visiting Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande returned home on Thursday by concluding his five-day official visit to Nepal. He had come to Nepal at the invitation of Chief of Army Staff, Prabhuram Sharma.

Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Balkrishna Karki, saw off Pande at Tribhuvan International Airport. During the visit, the Indian Army Chief Pande was conferred on the Hononary General of Nepali Army as part of the historical tradition existing between the armies of Nepal and India.

President Bidya Bhandari had conferred the title on him amidst a special ceremony organized at President's Office, Shitalniwas.

Similarly, Pande paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, and held talks with his Nepali counterpart Sharma.

The Nepali Army has said the visit of Indian Army Chief Pande would help foster cordial military relations subsisting between the two countries.

Pande also handed over the military materials worth Rs 223 million to Nepali army which were provided by the India government. (RSS)