More than a hundred media professionals from Nepal and India have pledged to play an active role in promoting Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, not only as a religious pilgrimage site but also as a cultural and peace dialogue center, along with being an important tourist destination worldwide.

The third News Festival, which began in Lumbini on December 12, concluded on Monday with the issuance of a 15-point manifesto.

The manifesto, organized at the Baby Buddha, the statue site of Prince Siddhartha, states that the role of media personnel will be made effective in strengthening Nepal-India cross-border relations through fact-based, responsible and positive journalism, and that the Lumbini News Festival will be developed as a regular and sustainable platform to establish Mofusal journalism at the center of national and international debate.

The declaration was read out by Lumbini Press Club General Secretary Prakash Neupane at the closing ceremony where Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki was the chief guest. Similarly, the manifesto states that the role of the media sector will be strengthened by making the relevant bodies responsible for completing the Lumbini Master Plan on time, and that it will play a role in promoting tourism, attracting investment and increasing cooperation between the responsible bodies for Lumbini's economic development. Similarly, the declaration includes raising common problems, opportunities and possibilities of cooperation in the border region with priority from the media sector, expanding the regional journalist network to continue experience exchange, cooperation and joint studies between Nepali-Indian journalists, and developing a mechanism for regular monitoring and dialogue to implement the suggestions and conclusions made at the Lumbini News Festival, said club president Kamal Rayamajhi.