Nepal has awarded Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Sheth the honorary rank of general in the Nepal Army. President Ramchandra Paudel conferred the honour at a ceremony at Shital Niwas in Kathmandu on Monday, during Sheth’s four-day visit to Nepal that began on Sunday.

The award follows a tradition in place since 1950 under which Nepal and India confer honorary general ranks on each other’s army chiefs. Nepal’s Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and senior Nepal Army and government officials attended the ceremony, according to the president’s office.

Sheth met Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel to discuss matters of mutual interest and ways to strengthen military ties. The Indian Embassy said the visit reaffirmed the countries’ longstanding special defence relationship, founded on shared values, mutual trust and army-to-army links. Sheth also met Ambassador Srivastava, handed over military and medical equipment to the Nepal Army, planted a sapling, and received and inspected a guard of honour.