In an indication of expanding military ties with the nation, Army Chief General VK Singh has left on a three-day visit to Mongolia even as a batch of crack Indian troops will be reaching the country next week for a round of joint training exercises.

General Singh's visit, the first by an Army Chief in seven years, comes as India steps up military engagement with China's northern neighbour and increases high-level visits, including one by President Pratibha Patil this July. Officials said Mongolia, which is landlocked between Russia and China, has referred to India as its 'third neighbour'. Delhi has been keen to engage the country, which also shares the longest 4,677-km border with China. At 3,488 km, India shares the second-longest border with China.

While General Singh will be attending the centenary celebrations of Mongolian Liberation and will interact with the President of Mongolia and the Chief of General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces, a batch of 40-odd troops from the Indian Army will participate in a joint exercise with the armed forces next week.

Sources said India will send a sub-unit level delegation for the latest round of 'Nomadic Elephant' exercises with the nation that will take place from September 15-29. It is a follow-up of a similar exercise that took place in Belgaum last year that saw the participation of 30 armed force personnel from the Mongolian Armed Forces.

The exercise could turn out to be an annual affair with officials pointing out that India has similar regularised engagements only with the US and China.

A small batch of Indian troops also participated in exercise 'Khan Quest' in Mongolia from July 20 to August 13. The multi-nation exercise was focused on peacekeeping operations, an area where India is sharing its expertise with Mongolia. The exercises are the latest in a series of engagements that have taken place since 2004.

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