Army Chief General Manoj Pande leaves for France on 4-day visit

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Sunday left for France on a four-day visit with an aim to further strengthen the "bonds of trust" between the Indian and French armies amid the fast-evolving security matrix and the geopolitical situation.

Gen Pande will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of France including the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chief of the Army Staff and the Commander of the Land Combat Forces.

The Chief of the Army Staff has proceeded on a visit to France from November 14 to 17.

"During the four-day visit, he will be meeting his counterparts and senior military leadership of France with an aim to enhance defence cooperation between both the nations," the Army said.

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It said Gen Pande will lay a wreath at Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifices of 4,742 Indian soldiers during the First World War.

"He is scheduled to call on the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, and Commander Commandement des Forces Terrestres (CFT) / Command of the Land Combat Forces, where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-France defence relations," the Army said in a statement.

It said the Army Chief will be visiting Ecole Militaire, comprising various military training establishments in Paris, and address senior staff officers attending a course at Ecole de Guerra-T, which is a French military academy.

He will also be visiting Military Schools at Draguignan, which are premier training establishments that train commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers.

"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," the Army said.

"The visit of the Chief of Army Staff to France will further strengthen the bonds of trust and understanding between the two armies," it said.