Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande on Sunday proceeded on a four-day visit to France. According to the Indian Army, the visit seeks to strengthen the two countries' existing defence relationship.
The Chief of Army Staff is on a visit to France from November 14 to 17.
During his four-day visit, he will meet with his counterparts and top military officers from France in order to strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries, as per an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.
Gen Pande is scheduled to meet with the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chief of the Army Staff, and the Commander of Commandement des Forces Terrestres (CFT) / Command of the Land Combat Forces to discuss strategies for enhancing India-France defense cooperation, the statement said.
The Army Chief will lay a wreath at the Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial, which honors the sacrifices of 4,742 Indian soldiers during World War I, according to the statement.
According to the statement, the COAS will pay a visit to Ecole Militarie, a complex of military training facilities in Paris, and address Senior Staff Officers enrolled in a course at Ecole de Guerra-T. He will also visit Military Schools in Draguignan, which are top training facilities for both commissioned and non-commissioned officers.
The two Armies' ever-expanding defence cooperation engagements, which include a wide range of operations, have fostered great camaraderie at all levels, the statement issued by the ministry stated that the COAS's visit to France will increase the confidence and understanding between the two forces.