Army Chief Gen Dwivedi to undertake 4-day visit to Australia

New Delhi: Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi will undertake a four-day visit to Australia beginning Monday to explore ways to boost bilateral defence ties and jointly contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The defence ministry said the Army Chief will hold wide-ranging interactions with senior leadership of the Australian defence forces, especially focussing on enhancing army-to-army engagements including training and joint exercises.

It said the visit is aimed at further strengthening India-Australia defence cooperation and reinforcing the growing convergence between the two nations.

“The visit reaffirms the shared commitment of both nations to further enhancing defence cooperation and jointly contributing to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said in a statement.

In Canberra, Gen Dwivedi will hold talks with Lt Gen Simon Stuart, the Chief of the Australian Army.

Lt Gen Stuart and Gen Dwivedi are alumni of the US Army War College’s ‘Class of 2015’ and share a strong professional bond, accoding to the min istry.

The talks between the two military officials will be followed by a comprehensive round table in Australian Defence Forces Headquarters, on the aspects of defence cooperation, modernisation and futuristic operations.Gen Dwivedi will also address the officers at the Australian Command and Staff College.

From Canberra, Gen Dwivedi will travel to Sydney where he will meet senior officials of Australia’s Forces Command (FORCOMD) and the Special Operations Command (SOCOMD).