Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi embarked on a four-day visit to Nepal on Wednesday to further ramp up the already close defence and strategic ties between the two countries against the backdrop of the evolving regional security situation.

Gen Dwivedi will be conferred the honorary rank of “General of the Nepal Army” by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday in continuation of an age-old tradition that first started in 1950, reflecting the strong ties between the two militaries.

The Army Chief's visit to Nepal from November 20-24 aims to strengthen military cooperation between the militaries of India and Nepal, besides exploring new avenues of collaboration between the two nations, the Indian Army said.

In Kathmandu, Gen Dwivedi is set to hold extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart Gen Ashok Raj Sigdel and will call on President Paudel, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Defence Minister Manbir Rai. Gen Dwivedi will also be briefed by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Nepali Army on issues of common interest at the Nepali Army headquarters on Thursday, officials said.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship. Landlocked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

Gen Upendra Dwivedi is also likely to visit the Shri Muktinath temple in the Mustang region of Nepal. It is learnt that India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat also wanted to visit the temple. In his memory, a Bell named 'Bipin Bell' was installed in the temple in February 2023.

Nepal has continued its close ties with India, with regular exchanges of military training, visits, and defence modernisation.

India and Nepal are critical partners in enhancing mutual military capabilities, particularly through training programmes. Gen Dwivedi's visit is expected to focus on the ongoing defence modernisation in both militaries, through various initiatives, officials said.

A key pillar of India-Nepal military cooperation is the annual 'Surya Kiran' joint military exercise, which enhances interoperability between the two armed forces.

This exercise, which focuses on counterterrorism, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, will see its 18th edition in December in Nepal. The scope and complexity of this exercise are set to be expanded, providing an opportunity to further improve the operational synergy between the two armies, sources said. India has been supporting Nepal in its military modernisation by supplying various forms of military hardware, including small arms, vehicles, and advanced training simulators.