Army Chief General Manoj Pande embarks on France visit, on agenda - defence ties

General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff commenced his four day travel to France in a bid to strengthen the defence ties between India and the French nation. The visit will see Pande meeting the French counterparts in his stay that will last for four days

New Delhi: The Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, embarked on his four-day visit to France. During his visit from November 14 to November 17, General Pande will hold a meeting with his French counterparts and senior military leadership with the aim to strengthen defence ties between the two nations.

Highlighting the importance of General Manoj Pande`s visit to France, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information tweeted, "General Manoj Pande #COAS proceeded on a four-day visit to #France. The visit aims to further enhance the existing defence relation between both the Nations."

During the visit, Army Chief General Manoj Pande will lay a wreath at Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifices of 4,742 Indian soldiers during the first world war, according to the Ministry of Defence press statement.

General Manoj Pande is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chief of the Army Staff, the Commander Commandement des Forces Terrestres (CFT) / Command of the Land Combat Forces to discuss ways for enhancing defence ties between India and France.

General Manoj Pande will visit Ecole Militarie, comprising various military training establishments in Paris. He will address senior staff officers, who are attending a course at Ecole de Guerra-T. He will also visit Military schools in Draguignan, which are training establishments that train commissioned 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 visit of the COAS to France will further strengthen the bonds of trust and understanding between the two armies," the Ministry of Defence said.

Earlier on November 7, Army Chief General Manoj Pande held a meeting with French Chief of Staff of Air and Space Force, General Stephane Mille. During the meeting, both sides discussed various aspects of defence cooperation between France and India.

Taking to the official Twitter handle, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information tweeted, "General Manoj Pande #COAS interacted with General Stephane Mille, Chief of Staff, French Air and Space Force & discussed aspects of #DefenceCooperation between both the defence forces."

Meanwhile, the seventh edition of the bilateral exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), `Exercise Garuda-VII` concluded at Air Force Station in Jodhpur on November 12. The FASF participated in the exercise with Rafale fighter aircraft and A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

In the exercise, the IAF contingent comprised Su-30 MKI, Rafale, LCA `Tejas` and Jaguar fighter aircraft, according to the statement issued by the Ministry of Defence. Exercise `Garuda VII` provided the two air forces with an opportunity for professional interaction and sharing of operational knowledge and experience.