DHARAMSALA, September 23 : The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dala Lama, who arrived here Saturday after completing a four nation Europe tour, congratulated Angela Merkel on winning the recently held national elections.
In his letter to the Chancellor, His Holiness wrote that he was a great admirer of the European Union.
“He expressed his appreciation for her farsighted and leading role in the European Union’s efforts to meet the aspirations of all Europe. He also expressed his admiration for her firm stand on issues of principle and human rights,” says the Tibetan leader’s official website.
The Tibetan leader met Merkel for the first time when she was in the opposition. In 2007, Merkel defied China’s opposition to her meeting with the Tibetan leader, whom Beijing reviles as “a monk in wolf’s robes” and became the first German chancellor to receive the Tibetan leader. China also cancelled a meeting between the two countries following the meeting.
The Nobel Laureate had told reporters, “she kept old friendships, so (I’m) very happy.”
