US Special Coordinator for Tibet meets Dalai Lama 

The Dalai Lama and US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues Ms Uzra Zeya during their meeting. Image: Tenzin Choejor, OHHDL

DHARAMSALA, 18 May: US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues Ms Uzra Zeya met the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness at the latter’s residence in Dharamsala today.

“It is my great honour to have this audience with you. I bring greetings from our President and the American people and the best wishes for your good health. We express our gratitude for your message of peace for the world,” the Biden Administration’s point person for Tibetan issues Ms Uzra Zeya says in a short video of the meeting made public.

The US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and the delegation she headed were also accompanied by the Central Tibetan Administration’s President, Department of Information and International Relations Minister Norzin Dolma and Representative of Office of Tibet, Washington DC Namgyal Choedup during their closed-door meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Without disclosing much about the meeting, the CTA President Penpa Tsering said that the Dalai Lama and the US special envoy on Tibetan issues discussed the US’ assistance and support for the sustenance and preservation of the Tibetan religion and culture and on some pressing issues at the meeting that lasted for an hour and fifteen minutes.

The itinerary of her visit includes attending a roundtable with Tibetan youth benefitting from Scholarship Programs Supported by USAID and Implemented by The Tibet Fund and CTA and tours to Tibetan Children’s Village School, Norbulingka Institute and Gyuto Monastery today. She will fly back to Delhi on Friday.

The delegation headed by US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues arrived here on Wednesday for a two-day visit to the exile headquarters of the Tibetan people.

The senior diplomat from the Biden administration who was appointed the special coordinator for Tibetan issues in December last year is the seventh US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and the fourth to visit Dharamsala. 

Sara Sewall, the fifth US special envoy on Tibetan issues visited Dharamsala twice in 2014 and 2016 while Maria Otero and Paula Dobriansky also made the visit in 2009 and 2006 respectively.

Ms Zeya, the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights of the Biden Administration is currently on a six-day visit to India and Nepal “to deepen cooperation on human rights and democratic governance goals, and to advance humanitarian priorities,”

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