India hands over military kit, medical supplies to Nepal Army » Capital News

Aug 19 — India on Monday handed over military equipment, medical supplies, and trained dogs and horses to the Nepal Army, in a gesture New Delhi framed as deepening defence cooperation ahead of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s first official visit to India, expected next month.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, met PM Oli, held talks with Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and conferred with senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. At a formal ceremony at Nepal Army Headquarters, Misri presented Light Strike Vehicles, critical-care medical equipment, and military animals to Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel.

The Indian Embassy in Nepal called the handover a “reflection of the close relationship between the two armies” and an embodiment of the “spirit of trust and partnership” between the neighbours. “We discussed the full range of India–Nepal relations, with a focus on strengthening connectivity, trade and development cooperation,” Foreign Minister Deuba said after her meeting with Misri, adding that Nepal “appreciates India’s Neighbourhood First policy and looks forward to continued growth in bilateral ties.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs described Nepal as a priority partner under Neighbourhood First, saying Misri’s visit continued the tradition of high-level exchanges and “helped advance our bilateral ties further.” The MEA readout also noted that a formal invitation was extended to PM Oli to visit India on “mutually convenient dates.” Oli, who took office in July 2024, has yet to travel to New Delhi; his first foreign trip as premier was to China.

Despite the absence of a prime-ministerial visit so far, engagement has remained active. During the Israel–Iran flare-up in June, India evacuated Nepalese nationals from Iran; Kathmandu publicly expressed solidarity with New Delhi after the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam that killed a Nepalese citizen. On 22 July, the two sides held Home Secretary-level talks in New Delhi, discussing trans-border crime, boundary maintenance and the functioning of Border District Coordination Committees. A day earlier, India announced support for Nepal cricket, with the men’s national team set for a high-performance camp at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru from 20 August to 4 September.

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