General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff has proceeded on a visit to France from 14 to 17 November 2022. During the four day visit, he will be meeting his counterparts and senior military leadership of France with an aim to enhance defence cooperation between both the nations.

During the visit, the Army Chief will be laying wreath at Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifices of 4,742 Indian soldiers during the First World War. He is scheduled to call on the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, and Commander Commandment des Forces Terrestres (CFT) / Command of the Land Combat Forces, where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-France defence relations.

The COAS will be visiting Ecole Militarie, comprising of various military training establishments in Paris and address Senior Staff Officers attending a course at Ecole de Guerra-T. He will also be visiting Military Schools at Draguignan, which are premier training establishments that train commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers.

The ever-expanding defence cooperation engagements which encompass a broad spectrum of activities have established a strong bonhomie across every level of the two Armies. The visit of the COAS to France will further strengthen the bonds of trust and understanding between the two armies.