By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov. 7: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday said that there was a good friendship between Nepal and India and that the issues between the two countries would be resolved through dialogue.
Prime Minister Oli made this remark while talking to visiting Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, who had reached the former’s official residence in Baluwatar this afternoon to pay a courtesy call.
General Naravane came to Nepal on a three-day official visit on Wednesday at the invitation of Chief of Nepali Army General Purna Chandra Thapa.
Talking to The Rising Nepal, Dr. Rajan Bhattarai, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Oli, said during the meeting the Prime Minister expressed that Nepal and India had centuries-old special relationship and that would remain intact forever.
"There is a tradition of conferring honorary rank of General on the Army Chiefs of the two countries," Dr. Bhattarai quoted PM Oli as saying. He also explained about the beginning of this tradition.
Earlier in the morning, General Naravane had flown to Syangboche of Solukhumbu district to have a view of Mt. Everest.
On Thursday, President Bidya Devi Bhandari conferred the honorary rank of General of Nepali Army on General Naravane amidst an investiture ceremony organised at the Office of President, Sheetal Niwash.
During the meeting, Foreign Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai, Foreign Secretary Bharat Poudyal and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra were also present.
Meanwhile, General Naravane returned home on Friday evening after concluding his three-day official visit to Nepal.
Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lieutenant General Prabhuram Sharma bade farewell to General Naravane at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Earlier this morning, General Naravane travelled to the Nepali Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri, where he shared his service experience with the student officers undergoing training in the college.
Chief of the Army Staff, General Purna Chandra Thapa hosted a banquet dinner at the Army Headquarter yesterday evening in honour of General Naravane.
General Thapa and General Naravane also held discussions on issues of mutual security concerns.
Discussions on enhancing and expanding areas of cooperation between the two armies, including exchange of high level visits and training, within the existing framework of Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group’s Meeting on Security Issues were also held, according to the Army Headquarters.
Nepali Army had firmly believed that such high level of visits will help further
cement the friendship between two armies and the two countries, it said.