President Ilves Meets Dalai Lama
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves held an unofficial meeting with the Dalai Lama today, August 17, during which Ilves both emphasized the importance of protecting Tibetan culture and expressed support for Estonia's continued one-China policy.
“The religion and culture of Tibet are truly unique, and maintaining them for future generations is one of the great humanistic duties of our time,” the president said, as quoted in an official release.
The meeting comes at the midpoint of the Tibetan spiritual leader's three-day visit to Tallinn, and a day after the Chinese Embassy sent a strongly-worded statement to the press reiterating China's opposition to any foreign leader's meeting with the Dalai Lama.
During the meeting, the president "confirmed his support for the Estonian government's continuing one-China policy, emphasizing his conviction that Tibetan history, religion and culture enrich the People’s Republic of China in the broadest possible sense," the statement said.
The meeting was held at the International Center for Defense Studies, where the Dalai Lama participated in a seminar.
Later today, at 14:00 local time, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to address the public in Tallinn's Freedom Square. He will then meet with other officials, including members of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet.
Tomorrow the Dalai Lama will visit the Tallinn Academy of Sciences, where he will give a lecture entitled "Buddhism and Science."
Steve Roman