Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday handed over light strike vehicles, critical care medical equipment and military animals to the Nepal Army at the army headquarters in Kathmandu.

According to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Misri presented the items to Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel. The embassy said the handover reflects the close ties between the two armies and embodies “the spirit of trust and partnership” in bilateral defence cooperation.

The Indian foreign secretary arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday on a two-day visit.

On Sunday, Misri conveyed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for an official visit to India. He extended the invitation during a courtesy call at Singha Durbar, where Foreign Ministry officials and Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava were also present. Oli thanked Misri for the invitation, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The visiting foreign secretary separately called on President Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba. His meetings covered a wide range of issues including connectivity, trade facilitation and development cooperation.

Later in the evening, Misri and his Nepali counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai held bilateral talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry said discussions focused on expanding cooperation in multiple sectors, further strengthening the long-standing Nepal-India partnership.

Misri is in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit, his second since assuming office in July last year. His engagements are seen as groundwork for Prime Minister Oli’s upcoming India visit.