PARIS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office says he will not meet with the Dalai Lama when the Tibetan spiritual leader visits France next week.
Sarkozy’s office says in Wednesday’s statement that the Dalai Lama did not ask to meet with the president during his 11-day visit to France.
Sarkozy threatened to boycott the opening of the Beijing Olympics because of China’s crackdown in Tibet earlier this year. That and French protests during the Olympic torch relay prompted a Chinese backlash, and Sarkozy later agreed to attend this Friday’s opening ceremony during a brief visit to China.
Critics have accused Sarkozy of compromising French values of human rights.
