Army chief of Nepal General Prabhuram Sharma, who is on a four-day visit to India, will be conferred the rank of an honorary General of the Indian Army. During his stay in New Delhi, Sharma will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and General M M Naravane.

He is also expected to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Indian Secretary of Defence Ajay Kumar, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary too.

This high profile visit, analysts said, is “hugely significant” as “this will boost bilateral ties in a big way”. “Nepal is a very important country for us…we will do everything to cement our ties,” one of them told India Narrative.

Also read: In 100 days, Nepal PM Deuba resets Kathmandu's foreign policy, emphasises need to maintain good relations with neighbours

Meanwhile, Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba held a bilateral meeting last week on the sidelines of the COP26 – the first after the latter took charge.

Modi and Deuba not only discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties but also underlined the need to work in close collaboration to boost economic recovery in the post Covid phase.

Modi has been invited by his Nepalese counterpart Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to visit the Himalayan country.

After Deuba’s swearing in as Prime Minister, the two leaders had held a telephone conversation in July.

Earlier, in an interview to Rising Nepal, Deuba said, “We have an open border with India and there is people-to-people exchange at the greater level so maintaining good relations with the southern neighbour is in our interest. Nepalis go to India for work and pilgrimage.”

“We have more intensive public, cultural and commercial relations with it,” he told the news organisation.

Also read: Informal channel of engagements will hold key for India Nepal relations

While around 6 lakh Indians are living in Nepal about 8 lakh Nepalese have made India their home.

Last month, a high level delegation of the ruling Nepali Congress led by former Foreign Minister and head of party's international department Prakash Sharan Mahat also visited India.