Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi meets French counterpart General Pierre Schill

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi met his French counterpart General Pierre Schill on Monday on the eve of the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs' Conclave starting here on Tuesday, an official said.

The two Chiefs reaffirmed the robust Indo-French strategic partnership, with discussions on expanding joint training exercises, counter-terrorism cooperation and defence technology collaboration, said the official in a statement on X.

Both sides emphasised the need for enhanced interoperability in UN peacekeeping operations, he said.

In addition to meeting the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), General Pierre Schill visited the National Defence College in Delhi.

During this visit, he addressed and interacted with participants of the 65th course of the National Defence Corps.

The objective of General Pierre Schill's visit was to enhance interaction at the senior military leadership level, gain insight into the training curriculum, and exchange best experiences and practices.

Since (UNTCC) 2025 is bringing together senior military leadership from 32 nations that play a pivotal role in UN peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army chief met several visiting Army officials during the day.

The Army’s social media team said that General Dwivedi the met with Major General Tsogtjargal Chimedgochoo, Commander of the Land Forces, Mongolian Armed Forces and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening Mongolia’s defence capacity-building, and coordinate efforts towards global peacekeeping.

Both sides highlighted the importance of shared values and agreed to deepen cooperation through professional military education and regular bilateral exchanges, said a statement.

In his meeting with General Mario Rafael Stevenazzi, Commander-in-Chief, Uruguayan Army, the Indian Army chief lauded that country’s significant role in UN peacekeeping and proposed avenues for further enhancing military collaboration through training exercises and bilateral military exchanges.

“The Chief of Army Staff met with his counterpart Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, on the sidelines of #UNTCC2025 to reaffirm the close defence partnership between the two nations. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in training, maritime security and UN peacekeeping, while underscoring a shared commitment to regional stability and strategic collaboration,” said the Army on X.

--IANS

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