NEW DELHI  (PTI): Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Wednesday spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma with a focus on boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.

The country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

"General Manoj Pande #COAS had a video interaction with General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chief of the Army Staff, #NepaliArmy and discussed aspects of bilateral Defence Cooperation," the Army tweeted.

Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations between the two countries.