Dalai Lama visits European Parliament

The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, yesterday met MEPs during a special session of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

The Dalai Lama, who heads Tibet's government-in-exile in India, was in Brussels to take part in an exchange of views between the EU and religious leaders.

During his meeting with MEPs, the Dalai Lama spoke at length about Tibet and China and recommended patience on the part of MEPs when dealing with China. He said that slow and gradual change in the country would be the best way to contribute to a peaceful negotiated solution.

Explaining Tibet's ambitions to MEPs, the Dalai Lama insisted that Tibet is not seeking separation from the People's Republic of China but only an autonomous status under its Constitution. He likened the ideal arrangement to that of Quebec and Scotland within Canada and the UK, respectively and insisted that the Tibetan question was one of a preservation of an ancient culture and an anchoring of the Buddhist tradition.

Earlier in the day, the Dalai Lama visited the European Commission headquarters and met President José Manuel Barroso.