Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated a conference of over 110 Heads of Indian Missions here and paid homage to those officials who sacrificed their lives while serving the country abroad.

The Prime Minister, in his address after inaugurating the four-day conference, spelt the ways in which the diplomats can contribute to the country’s development.

With the theme ‘Diplomacy for Development’, the meet will brainstorm the projection of India abroad and perennials of foreign policy.

Modi, along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, unveiled a memorial plaque in the External Affairs Ministry office in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan.

The memorial plaque is an array of six installations representing the theme of ‘Transformation’.

It comprises six sandstone stems of “Bird of Paradise” flower in various stages of unfurling.

The sculpture seeks to combine the age-old stone craft in the form of sandstone stems with the flowering of petals made of titanium, a contemporary material with subtle hues of colours.