Mr. & Mrs. Tapas Adhikari, Ambassador, Mr. & Mrs. Amrit Kaji Gurung, Defense Attache hosted a grand reception at Serena Hotels Islamabad to celebrate 260th Raising Day of Nepali Army on 20th Feb 2023. Lt. Gen. Muhammad Shabaz Khan was chief guest who represented armed forces of Pakistan. Envoys and DAs of other countries also participated in the reception.
Ambassador Adhikari shed light on the history of the day. He shared that established in 1762 AD, Nepali Army is one of the oldest and continuously serving army institutions in the world with a rich history of dedication and bravery. Nepali Army is a main organ of national security of Nepal.
Nepali Army is the first standing army in Asia which has continued and unbroken history since the establishment. Loyalty, discipline, bravery and hard work are the main hallmarks of Nepali Army. Nepali Army is a national army who has contributed for Nepal’s unification and development while protecting and defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. Nepali army is renowned for its professionalism.
Over the centuries, Nepali Army has embraced the change in accordance with the change of time and political will of the country and taken up new and emerging roles. In addition to its regular responsibility of national security, the Army is also involved in non-traditional jobs such as disaster risk management, nature conservation as well as in various infrastructure developmental works.
The Nepali Army has developed close military-to-military cooperative relations with the countries in the neighborhood, region and beyond to contribute to and strengthen its capabilities as well as to exchange good practices.
As part of Nepal’s commitments to global peace and security, the Nepali Army has regularly contributing to the UN peacekeeping operations around the world since 1958. In the last 65 years, more than one hundred forty-five thousand army personnel have contributed for global peace and order. Seventy-two Nepali peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in line of duty while serving the United Nations peacekeeping operations. The engagement is further strengthened over the decades.
“Nepal and Pakistan enjoy excellent bilateral relations. The establishment of formal relations in 1960 between our two neighboring countries have further strengthened it. The bilateral relations are based on goodwill, mutual trust and cooperation. Both countries hold similar views on many issues of common interests.” Ambassador continued.
He concluded, “People-to-people contacts, Trade and economic cooperation are part of bilateral relations. One important facet of Nepal Pakistan relations is military to military cooperation between the armies. Both the army have close and friendly relations. They support each other in peacekeeping operations.”
Colonel Amrit Kaji Gurung, DA of Nepal also shared the salient features of Nepal Army that make it prominent among other armies of the world. He said, “As part of Nepal’s commitments to global peace and security, the Nepali Army has regularly contributed to UN peacekeeping operations around the world since 1958.Over the centuries, Nepali Army has embraced the change in accordance with the change of time and political will of the country and taken up new and emerging roles.
” In the last 65 years, more than 145,000 army personnel have contributed to global peace and order. 72 Nepali peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty while serving the United Nations peacekeeping operations.” the Defense Attache added.
