Nepal Army Chief meets Chinese defence minister

Nepal Army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel paid a courtesy call on Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in Beijing and discussed matters relating to mutual interest and military relations, the army said here.

Sigdel is on a week-long visit to China. He left for Beijing on September 13 at the invitation of the Chinese Government and is scheduled to return to Nepal on September 19.

During his meeting with Dong on Wednesday, the two sides discussed issues relating to mutual interests and bilateral military relations, the Nepal Army headquarters in Kathmandu said in a statement. Sigdel also inspected the National Defence University of China and attended the inaugural session of the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Wednesday. The Xiangshan Forum, being held from September 15 to 17, is a key platform for international security and defence dialogue and brings together senior defence officials, military leaders and experts.

During his visit, Sigdel is also expected to meet senior Chinese military officials and discuss future military cooperation, including preparations for the next edition of the joint Nepal-China military exercise, Sagarmatha Friendship.

Nepal and China have been conducting the Sagarmatha Friendship exercise since 2017, focusing on counter-terrorism.