India hopes Naravane visit will help better ties

NEW DELHI: India is looking to army chief Gen MM Naravane’s upcoming visit to Nepal to help put bilateral ties back on an even keel after a bitter border row, especially by building on the traditionally strong ties between the two armies, people familiar with the developments said.

Naravane is expected to be in Nepal during November 4- 6, when he will meet his Nepalese counterpart Gen Purna Chandra Thapa and top civilian leaders.

Nepal’s President Vidya Devi Bhandari will also confer the honorary rank of general of the Nepali Army on Naravane at an investiture ceremony.

Ahead of Naravane’s trip, RAW chief Samant Kumar Goel made a low-key visit to Kathmandu on Thursday during which he met PM KP Sharma Oli. Oli’s spokesman Surya Thapa said the talks focussed on not allowing any “interruption in friendly relations between Nepal and India [and] resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue and continuing mutual cooperation”.

Bilateral ties were hit in May after defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a key border road to Lipulekh region, which is claimed by Nepal. Kathmandu responded by issuing a new map showing Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, all controlled by India, as part of Nepalese territory, exacerbating the row. The two sides are yet to hold talks on the border issue though the people cited above said on condition of anonymity that the visits by RAW and Indian Army chiefs are expected to calm relations and prepare the ground for more substantive engagements.