KATHMANDU: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Indian Army to Nepal Army Chief Rajendra Chhetri.

At a function organised at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Chief of Army Staff Chhetri received the rank following the decades-long tradition practised by armies of two neighbours.

Chhetri is in India on his first official foreign visit since Monday.

Since 1950, Nepal and India have been awarding army chiefs of each other with the honorary rank "in recognition of mutual harmonious relationships between two armies," the NA Directorate of Public Relations said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Chhetri is hosting a dinner to celebrate the occasion, the statement added.