Army chief Seth meets Nepal PM, seeks stronger military ties amid unease

General Dhiraj Seth met Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah and discussed bilateral military ties. The outreach comes as both neighbours seek steadier engagement amid diplomatic unease and border sensitivities.Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Seth on Tuesday called on Nepal's Prime Minister and Defence Minister Balendra Shah and discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen military ties between the two neighbours.The meeting came during General Seth's official visit to Nepal from August 17 to 19. On Monday, President Ramchandra Paudel conferred on him the rank of Honorary General of the Nepali Army, continuing the longstanding tradition under which India and Nepal confer the honorary rank of General on each other's army chiefs.Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava was also present at the meeting, which was held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, amid unease in ties between the two neighbours. Sources at the Prime Minister's secretariat said the two sides discussed matters of bilateral interest and ways to strengthen bilateral military relations.Earlier this month, Shah held his first one-on-one meeting with Ambassador Srivastava and stressed the need to deepen the country's 'historic relationship' with India. In recent weeks, Shah has moved away from his self-imposed rule of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign ambassadors and senior visiting officials. General Seth is in Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali Army counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel. He also held bilateral talks with General Sigdel at Army Headquarters on Monday, where they discussed matters of mutual interest.Nepal and India have maintained their reciprocal honorary rank tradition since 1950. Nepal's leaders have also traditionally attached importance to early engagement with New Delhi, reflecting the close political, economic and people-to-people ties between the neighbours. Shah, however, has not visited either the southern or the northern neighbour since taking office. Instead, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal made back-to-back visits to New Delhi and Beijing in June. Shah's predecessor, K P Sharma Oli, had visited China after taking over in 2024, departing from the earlier practice of Nepal's prime ministers making India their first foreign destination. In his maiden appearance in Parliament on May 31, Shah said he had learnt about his country 'encroaching' territories in India. He also said that apart from discussions with India on the long-running border dispute, Kathmandu was in touch with China and the UK as well. Two days later, New Delhi categorically rejected any role for third parties in resolving its boundary dispute with Nepal. Nepal and India have had a long-running dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, while India has consistently maintained that these areas are part of Uttarakhand.Soon after Shah's remarks, Nepal's ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party chairman Rabi Lamichhane visited India and met top Indian leaders. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said the visit of the Indian Army chief 'reaffirms the unique and time-tested defence relations between India and Nepal, which are rooted in shared values, mutual trust, and enduring military-to-military ties'. Nepal Army sources also said General Seth offered prayers at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu on Tuesday.General Seth's visit included meetings with Nepal's top political and military leadership, the conferment of the honorary rank of General, and talks on bilateral interests and defence ties, against the backdrop of a sensitive phase in India-Nepal relations.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 18, 2026 17:48 IST