Indian Army chief on four-day visit to France to boost defence ties

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande is on a four-day visit to France to discuss measures to further boost the already extensive defence cooperation between the two countries.

Gen Pande, during his visit from November 14 to 17, will meet top French officials like the chief of defence staff, the Army chief and commander of the land combat forces to “discuss avenues for enhancing India-France defence relations”, an officer said on Sunday.

“The ever-expanding defence cooperation engagements, which encompass a broad spectrum of activities, have established a strong bonhomie across every level of the two armies as well as the air forces and navies,” he added.

Gen Pande will lay a wreath at the Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifices of 4,742 Indian soldiers during World War-I, as well as visit military establishments in the country.

The visit comes soon after India and France conducted a joint maritime surveillance mission in the southern Indian Ocean Region as well as the bilateral ‘Garuda’ air combat exercise at Jodhpur, as was earlier reported by TOI. (The Times of India)