Obama aides meet Dalai Lama’s envoys

A high level team constituted by US President Barack Obama on Sunday reached this hill town in Himachal Pradesh to discuss the Tibetan issue prior to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s US visit and a few weeks ahead of Obama’s maiden visit to China, reports Gaurav Bisht.

A high level team constituted by US President Barack Obama on Sunday reached this hill town in Himachal Pradesh to discuss the Tibetan issue prior to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s US visit and a few weeks ahead of Obama’s maiden visit to China.

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Senior officials from the Obama administration, led by Valerie B. Jarret, senior advisor and assistant to the President for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, held a closed door meeting with Tibetan Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche for nearly two hours.

“It was just a courtesy meeting,” Rinpoche told HT, declining to share details of the meet.

But the presence of the Dalai Lama’s special envoy Lodhi Gyari Gyaltsen at the meeting indicated that ‘genuine’ autonomy for Tibet was discussed.

This is because Gyaltsen has held eight rounds of talks with China on the issue. The meeting also indicated that Tibet was likely to figure in Obama’s talks with top Chinese leaders during his visit to that country.

The Dalai Lama’s representatives have held eight round of talks since resumption of their dialogue with China in 2002.