A 20-member delegation of trainees, including faculty heads from the Indian National Defence College (NDC), who are on a study visit in Nepal, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday.

During the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, PM Oli hailed the academic contributions of the college in the field of defence and emphasised the need for joint efforts for peace and prosperity among South Asian nations.

The Prime Minister said that the occurrence of violence and disputes in a region where prominent personalities like Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi were born is contrary to the culture and civilization of the area.

The meeting was also attended by Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and NDC representatives including Sandeep Singh Sandhu.

Meanwhile, Acting Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashok Raj Sigdel and the Senior Directing Staff of the Indian National Defence College had a courtesy meeting at the Army Headquarters, Bhadrakali.

According to the Directorate of Public Relations and Information for the Nepali Army Headquarters on Monday, the meeting, which took place at the army headquarters, involved discussions on bilateral interests and mutual concerns.

According to Brigadier General Gaurav KC, Spokesperson for the Nepali Army, during the meeting, the Indian National Defence College students were briefed about the Nepali Army.

The visiting delegation, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, has a programme to tour some units of the Nepali Army, and some religious, cultural, and tourist sites in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, and Janakpur.

The 20-member delegation, including faculty from the Indian National Defence College and students from various countries (Kazakhstan, the United States, Bhutan, Oman, Australia, Japan, and India) participating in the National Defence Course currently being conducted at the college, arrived in Nepal on September 1 for a five-day study trip.

It is a common practice to organise visits to various countries for students participating in such high-level security and defence training programmes conducted in different nations.

The Nepali Army believes that such study tours facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience on collective interests and help strengthen military relations with the involved countries, as well as contribute to promotion of tourism in Nepal.