President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who is the supreme commander of the Nepal Army, conferred the rank of honorary chief of the NA on Indian Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat amid a special function held at the Office of the President at Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday.

It has been a customary practice between armies of the two neighbours to confer the title to each other’s army chiefs since 1950 as a symbol of good military ties. 

Chief of Army Staff General Rajendra Chhetri had received the similar honorary rank of general of the Indian Army from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in February last year.

Gen Rawat, who was appointed the chief of Indian Army on December 31, is on four-day official visit of Nepal in his first international trip after he took charge of the Indian Army, on the invitation of his counterpart Gen Chhetri. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Gen Rawat held separate meetings with Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khad and CoAS Chhetri. 

Gen Rawat is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

The Indian Army chief on Wednesday handed over seven horses of four different breeds—one Horse Stallion Light Breed, two Brood Mare Horse, two Geld Horse and two Donkey Stallion—to the Nepal Army, according to a statement by the Directorate of Public Relations of the NA. 

Before that, a contingent of the Nepal Army had presented a guard of honours to Gen Rawat at a programme held at the NA Headquarters. 

According to the NA, Gen Rawat is also scheduled to visit Indian pension camps in Pokhara and Nepal Army’s High-altitude Training Academy in Jomsom on Thursday.