Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth arrived at Kathmandu Airport on Sunday (August 16, 2026) on a three-day official visit to Nepal aimed at further strengthening defence cooperation and military-to-military ties between the two countries.

During his visit from August 17 to 19, General Seth will receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters and hold talks with senior military leadership.

Unique tradition

He will also attend an investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, where Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer on him the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army, in keeping with the unique tradition between the Indian and Nepali Armies.

According to the Ministry of Defence, during the visit, General Seth will lay a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel on August 17 and receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters.

He will hold talks with his Nepali counterpart and be briefed by the Director General of Military Operations of the Nepali Army on issues of mutual interest.

On August 18, the Army Chief will address student officers of the Army Command and Staff Course at Shivapuri and interact with instructors and foreign student officers. He is also scheduled to meet senior Nepalese dignitaries to discuss issues of mutual interest.

On the final day of his visit, General Seth will attend an ex-servicemen rally in Pokhara, where he will felicitate Veer Naris and gallantry awardees and interact with Indian Army veterans.

‘Roti Beti Ka Rishta’

India and Nepal share close historical, social and cultural ties, often described as the ‘Roti Beti Ka Rishta’. The two countries also share strong civilisational links through the Janakpur-Ayodhya and Lumbini-Bodhgaya connections.

The visit is expected to reinforce the deep-rooted historical and military ties between the two countries and provide an opportunity to explore new avenues of cooperation between the Indian and Nepali Armies.