An Italian Parliamentary Delegation will visit Dharamsala from 14-16 September. The five-member parliamentary delegation comprises members from the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, established in May 2002, and has a membership of more than 160 MPs from all political parties in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Italian Parliament.
The delegation led by Mr. Gianni Vernetti, President of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, is scheduled to have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and meetings with officials of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. Mr. Vernetti led a similar delegation to Dharamsala in 2002.
The delegation will also observe the proceedings of the 8th Session of the 13th Tibetan Parliament in Exile, which began on 8 September 2004.
Hon. Gianni Vernetti said that the delegation would discuss with the Tibetan leadership common initiatives and also assess the current situation on human rights in Tibet. This is their second visit to Dharamsala.
In recent years, the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet has worked to ensure the Italian Parliament voices its concern for Tibet through various resolutions: in October 2002 to request genuine autonomy for Tibet; in July 2003 to urge the Resumption of Dialogue between PRC and Tibetan Government in Exile; in March 2004 to ensure China stop the execution of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
The Italian Parliamentary Delegation visiting Dharamsala include: Gianni Vernetti (President, Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet); Pietro Folena (Democratic of the Left) member of the Foreign Commission of the Chamber of Deputies; Luana Zanella (Green party) member of the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies; Maurizio Fistarol (Freedom and Democracy Party) member of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies; Bruno Mellano (Radical Party), member of the Regional Parliament of Piedmont and President of the Cities, Province and Regions for Tibet.
Mr. Ugo Papi, Coordinator of the Italian Tibetan Support Group and the Parliamentary Group for Tibet and Mr. Tashi Lama, President of the Tibetan Community in Italy are also accompanying the delegation.
