Brussels Tibet office holds reception for Dalai Lama’s 81st birthday

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Mr. Thomas Mann, Chair of the Tibet Interest Group in the European Parliament, addressing the guest. (Photo courtesy: tibet.net)
Mr. Thomas Mann, Chair of the Tibet Interest Group in the European Parliament, addressing the guest. (Photo courtesy: tibet.net)

(TibetanReview.net, Jul01, 2016) – Diplomats, EU officials, Members of the European and Belgian Parliaments, Parliamentary Assistants, officials of the Belgian government, officials of the EU institutions, and Representatives of Tibetan Buddhist Centres, as well as members of Tibetan Communities, Tibet Support Groups, and various international NGO’s, besides scholars and journalists attended a reception to mark the 81st birthday of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Brussels on Jun 29 evening. It was an annual event organized by the bureau du Tibet, Brussels, with the venue being the Albert Hall Complex, described as a flagship event venue.

Those who attended the reception included MEP Thomas Mann, President of the cross-party Tibet Interest Group (TIG) in the European Parliament, who said his group will continue to support the Middle Way approach of the Central Tibetan Administration of seeking autonomy, not independence, for Tibet.

Mr Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Special Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Brussels, who just recently announced his retirement from that post, welcomed the guests. He referred to US President Barack Obama’s recent meeting with the Dalai Lama despite strong objections from China and noted that in Europe there has been some hesitancy and reluctance to do the same in recent years.

He has explained, however, that the Dalai Lama on his part did not wish to pose any unnecessary inconvenience and problem to any government.

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