Other events in Baltic States

Neither President Andris Berzins, nor Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) plan on meeting His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, during his upcoming visit to Latvia this September.

Asked whether the president will meet with the Dalai Lama during his visit, the Presidential Press Service told LETA that ''there are no such plans at the moment''.

The prime minister's press secretary Martins Panke told LETA that a meeting between the prime minister and the Dalai Lama is not being planned at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry's Information and Public Relations Department told LETA that the Dalai Lama's visit to Latvia is a private initiative, which is being organized by private individuals and non-governmental organizations. The ministry does not have any additional information on the planned visit, only that which is available in the Latvian media.

''Latvia has always supported the territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China, and the autonomous region of Tibet is a part of the People's Republic of China,'' the Foreign Ministry emphasizes.

The Foreign Ministry points out that Latvia sees the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader, and not a political one.

''The human rights situation in Tibet, the preservation of the Tibetan language, culture and religious identity, as well as other matters, is a part of the European Union-China dialogue, in which Latvia participates in as an EU member,'' the Foreign Ministry adds.

At the same time, the ministry adds that Latvia is a democratic country, where citizens have the right to express their point of views, even if it is different than the state's official position.

As reported, the Dalai Lama will pay a visit to Latvia on September 8 to 11 this year, the visit's organizers informed LETA.

The key themes in all engagements throughout this visit will be the Dalai Lama's message of non-violence, compassion and dialogue. The main event of the visit will be "The Culture of Compassion", a public talk delivered by the Dalai Lama at "Arena Riga" on September 9.

"This will be His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama's third visit to Latvia and our capital city of Riga following previous visits in September 1991 and June 2001. During this visit, the Dalai Lama will meet with members of the Latvian Buddhist community and leaders of other main religious faiths as well as with local politicians and intellectuals. The most significant event of the visit, however, will be the public talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the "Arena Riga". The "Culture of Compassion" event will provide a wonderful opportunity for many people throughout Latvia to see and listen to the Dalai Lama, a globally recognized spiritual and moral authority, speak on the theme of compassion," explains "Latvia for Tibet" board member Janis Martins Skuja.