Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visited Nepal from Nov. 8-12, marking his first trip to the country in his current role.   

During Rudd’s trip, he met with Nepal’s newly appointed Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel, highlighting the mutual respect and partnership between the two countries. He also visited the Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre and spoke to a group of Nepali junior officers at Nepal’s Army Command and Staff College. The visit served to advance the defense and security partnership between the U.S. and Nepal, and gain understanding of Nepal’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response challenges.   

To further these goals the U.S. and Nepal cohost the annual multinational peacekeeping exercise Shanti Prayas IV, an annual exercise series which trains units to deploy in support of U.N. peacekeeping missions across the globe. Additional exercises include Pacific Angel 24-2 with the Nepali army, a collaborative exercise aimed at enhancing operational capabilities in diverse scenarios.  

The U.S. military and members of the Nepali army have a long-standing relationship and routinely participate in combined peacekeeping and disaster preparedness exercises together, demonstrating the continued growth of the U.S. and Nepal’s 75-year relationship, built on dedication, mutual respect and trust toward the Nepalese people.