Afghan Army chief to arrive on Monday

Afghanistan Army chief General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi will arrive in the Capital on Monday for a four-day visit. General Khan,who took over as the Afghan Army chief in 2002,will interact with senior military and civilian defence officials and will visit key military installations at Pune,Hyderabad and Mumbai.

While a variety of issues will come up for discussion,the two sides are likely to talk about cross training of Afghan Army officers in India and exchange of officers at various levels. Currently,the only presence of the Indian Army in Afghanistan is at a children’s hospital in Kabul while a group of officers are imparting English courses.

“The visit signifies the resolve to build a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and will strengthen our strategic partnership,” a senior Army officer said.