Nepal, US armies to discuss defence cooperation at 3-day Kathmandu meet

Nepal and the United States military are getting ready to hold three-day bilateral talks in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Krishna Prasad Bhandari was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. Officials from the two ally countries, who established diplomatic relations in 1948, meet at the highest diplomatic levels to discuss issues pertaining to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) coordination and implementation; trade, security and defence cooperation. 

Nepal refused to participate in the American State Partnership Program (SPP) in June last year. US Army had insisted that the south Asian country ink the SPP, which would enhance the military assistance under the programme. Nepal, however, refused to sign the programme. Nepal Army had also requested the sky trucks from the US Army as well as the US-made Bell helicopters. Nepal had also earlier said that it might buy two MI-17 helicopters from Russia.

“Last year they [Nepal and US] discussed confirming priorities and exploring new opportunities for further collaboration, leading to improved efficiency through greater information sharing in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” a statement published by the US read, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Land Forces' talks to begin from March 27-29

Land Forces' talks between Nepal and the US will begin from March 27 to 29 in Kathmandu. Nepal Army was given permission to go ahead with the bilateral dialogue with the US Army after a cabinet meeting on Monday. If executed, this would be the fourth such meeting between US and Nepal armies to bolster the defence and military cooperation. An estimated one-and-a-half dozen officials from both the nations—Nepal and the US— will participate in the upcoming talks that will focus on the expansion of the Nepali peacekeepers, bolstering the humanitarian assistance and disaster response, force professionalisation and enhancing the experience and coordination between armies of the two countries, according to Brigadier Gen Bhandari. 

At the crucial meeting, a Nepali major general and his American counterpart who will reportedly lead the talks will discuss key regional issues such as disaster response, relief, and preparedness, US assistance for Nepal Army personnel deployment and various peacekeeping missions. US Army will discuss supplying military hardware to the Nepal Army.