(TibetanReview.net, May21’21) – In more congratulatory messages, parliamentary leaders from the Czech Republic, Belgium, and France have welcomed the election Mr Penpa Tsering as the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) while promising “intensive cooperation” and support for the exile Tibetans’ long sustained, nonviolent and pragmatic pursuit of genuine autonomy through the Middle Way Policy, said the CTA on its Tibet.net website May 21.
In their joint congratulatory message, Jiri Ruzicka, the 1st Vice-President of the Czech Republic Senate, and Přemysl Rabas, Chairman of the Senate Group of Friends of Tibet, have written: “Please accept our warm congratulations on your success in the Sikyong election. We believe that the coming years will be a successful and promising period for you personally, Tibetans as well as for the supporters of Tibet.”
They have also written: “It is not only the Senate Group of Friends of Tibet” that support Tibetans but there are “many other politicians and hundreds of thousands of people in the Czech Republic who fly Tibetan flags every year to support the idea of real autonomy of Tibet”.
Building on the “successful cooperation with your predecessor, Mr. Lobsang Sangay”, the senate leaders have extended an invitation to the Sikyong-elect to visit the seat of the Czech Senate in Prague.
“We will therefore be very pleased if one of your first trips abroad will lead to Prague and the seat of the Czech Senate. You and your colleagues are always welcome here,” they were stated to have written.
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From Belgium, Samuel Cogolati, the Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belgian parliament, and Georges Dallemagne, Member of its Foreign Affairs Committee, have offered congratulations to the “Sikyong of Central Tibetan Administration” and the “new elected members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile”.
Praising the Dalai Lama for his success in setting up a democratically functioning system, they have invited the Sikyong-elect to visit Brussels to discuss matters concerning “the situation in Tibet and ways in which the Belgian Parliament could contribute to improve the human rights situation of the Tibetan people.”
“We look forward to working with you to support a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Tibet through a direct negotiation process between the CTA and the Chinese government in line with the Middle Way Approach.”
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And from France, Senator Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, President of the French Senate Tibet Group, officially known as the International Group for Information on Tibet, has hailed the Tibetan elections as a “result of the work and efforts undertaken by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Community in exile”.
She has extended “full support” to the Dalai Lama-led efforts towards reinvigorating dialogue with the Chinese government and invited Penpa Tsering to Brussels to discuss joint initiatives in safeguarding and promoting the Tibetan cultural identity.
Also, Madam Elisabeth Toutut-Picard, Member of French Parliament, has written to say, “It is with great pleasure that I extend to you, on behalf of the Tibet Study Group at the French National Assembly and on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations on your election as President of the Central Tibetan Administration.”