Kathmandu: President Bidya Devi Bhandari conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army (NA) on General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Indian Army, during an investiture ceremony held at Rastrapati Bhavan, Sheetal Niwas today.
General Pande was presented with a sword, insignia and a certificate of conferment order by the President during the ceremony.
The Nepali Army and the Indian Army traditionally honour each other’s chiefs by conferring on the honorary rank of General, given the close military ties shared by the two neighbours for decades. This long-held tradition is emblematic of the close ties between the national armies of Nepal and India.
Among the dignitaries present at the investiture ceremony were Prime minister and Defense Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, Chief of the Army Staff General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Former Chiefs of Army Staff, Nepali Army, Secretaries of office of President, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava and Defense Attaches of Friendly Foreign Countries.
Earlier this morning, General Pande paid his tribute to the martyrs in the Army Pavilion. He received and inspected a guard of honour in the Army Headquarters and planted a sapling in the Headquarters premises.
General Pande then had a meeting with his counterpart General Prabhu Ram Sharma Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army at his office. They exchanged views on issues of mutual interests and discussed measures to further strengthen the existing bond of friendship and cooperation between the two armies.
After the meeting, General Pande handed over Medical Equipment, Mine Protective Vehicles (MPVs)-10, Horses (Stallions)-4, Maintenance and Spare Equipment as per the Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (BCGSI).
Today Evening, Chief of the Army Staff General Sharma will host a banquet in honour of General Pande and the visiting delegation.
