Pune, September 16

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat today said countries like Nepal and Bhutan “have to be inclined to India because of geography”. To a query on the growing closeness between Nepal and China, he said ties between nations change along with the global scenario.

Rawat was speaking on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation-Field Training Military Exercise.

“Geography favours inclination towards India and as far as alliance (with China) is concerned, it is a temporary thing,” he added.Citing the example of Pakistan and the US, the General claimed that the dynamics of ties keep changing.

“We need not be bothered about all these issues. We need to concentrate on how to keep our country strong,” he said, adding that the leadership believed in developing ties with neighbours. “We are a bigger country and if we take the lead, everybody will follow suit. That is why we stepped into this (by organising the military exercise),” he said. — PTI