Ambassadors from 19 countries and honorary consuls of 45 countries have called for promoting global peace as a major basis for prosperity.

They made the appeal on Friday from Lumbini as they converged at the birthplace of Gautam Buddha during the Lumbini Conclave jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Honorary Consular Corps Nepal (HCCN).

Addressing the conclave, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha stressed the importance of the Lumbini Conclave at a time when the world is facing rising tensions, wars and polarisation.

"There are arrays of possibilities for doing business in Nepal. And we are open to revise or reform any act laws if they are to be revised to encourage investment and accelerate economic development.” Shrestha said. "We will listen to the suggestions of investors.”

He requested the ambassadors and diplomats to spread the message of Nepal that it is a destination for investment.

Non-residential ambassador of Indonesia to Nepal, Heru Hartanto Subolo, highlighted the relevance of peace and fraternity across the world.

HCCN Dean Bishnu Agrawal said the conclave would play a vital role in the promotion of tourism and other businesses in Nepal.

"We look forward to building on the success of this conclave and continuing our collective journey towards a brighter future," he added.

Vice-Chair of Lumbini Development Trust Lharkyal Lama emphasized the need for spreading peace against violence across the world.

Residential envoys from Greece, Mauritius, Indonesia, Mongolia, Serbia, Austria, Bulgaria and Estonia, as well as non-residential ambassadors from the Czech Republic, Tanzania, Slovenia, Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, Latvia, Costa Rica, Poland, Dominican Republic and Romania attended the conclave.

Addressing the event, Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN), Sushil Bhatta, invited the international delegates to participate in the Nepal Investment Summit, 2024 scheduled for April 28-29 in Kathmandu. He requested the delegates to convey the message to potential investors in their respective countries to participate in the summit to explore investment avenues and capitalise on networking opportunities.

The international participants were briefed about the Lumbini Development master plan, excavation and research undergoing at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.