File photo of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha. (Press Trust of India)
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, today left for a four-day visit to Thailand and Vietnam to further boost bilateral relations between the armed forces of the two South-east Asian countries, which is expected to provide greater convergence at the operational level.
During the first leg of his visit in his capacity as Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), the Air Chief will visit Thailand where he will interact with the Indian Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Royal Thai Armed Forces.
The Air Chief will be presented a Guard of Honour at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. While at Thailand, he will also meet his counterpart and call on the Deputy Defence Minister of Thailand, General Udomdej Sitabutr.
On the second leg of his visit, Air Chief Marshal Raha will meet Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, Preeti Saran.
He will also review a Guard of Honour at Ministry of Defence Head Quarters following which, he will hold discussions with the Chief of General Staff (CGS) Vietnam People's Army. He will also meet the Chief of Vietnam People's Air Force and call on the Minister of Defence, Vietnam.
During the visit, the Air Chief Marshal is scheduled to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation.
In recent years, there have been close and frequent contacts at political and military levels.
"Raha's visit to Thailand and Vietnam will further boost bilateral relations between the Armed Forces of the two countries and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level," said a statement from the Ministry of Defence.