Nepal Army Chief to begin four-day visit to India
Nepal Army Chief General Prabhu Ram Sharma will begin a two-day visit to New Delhi today, where he will receive the honorary rank of ‘General’ of the Indian Army. .
General Sharma will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the improvement of bilateral relations as well as joint training of security forces. The trip is part of Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahad Deuba’s efforts to strengthen ties with New Delhi after he was elected in June 2021.
Following five years of deteriorating relations between India and Nepal, expect the new administration to be adamant about a strengthened strategic partnership with India. In the short-term improved bilateral relations will likely see a return to dialogue on border disputes, on hold since relations soured in 2015. In the long term, India will seek to bring Nepal firmly under its alliance system as regional power conflict with China risks escalating its own border disputes with New Delhi. Conversely, China will continue its own efforts to woo Nepal including a recent gift of 300,000 COVID-19 vaccines to the Nepali Army and the construction of a $300 million railway connecting Lhasa and Kathmandu intended for completion in 2025.
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