DIIR Secretary Tashi Phuntsok appointed Representative for Office of Tibet, Brussels
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA May 11: Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Mr Tashi Phuntsok has been appointed as the new Representative for Office of Tibet, Brussels.
Mr Phuntsok, Secretary of DIIR since February 2013 will replace Mr Kalsang Gyaltsen, and take charge of the Office of Tibet, Brussels, either by July 1, 2016 or immediately after his documents are issued by the Belgian government, a release from the Kashag secretariat was stated in a report on the CTA’s official website, www.tibet.net
The newly appointed Representative for Office of Tibet, Brussels, Phuntsok has dedicated more than 35 years in service at CTA shouldering various responsibilities such as the head of the Africa & Middle East Desk at DIIR, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in South Africa from 1997 – 2001 and as the Representative for the Office of Tibet in Brussels and Paris from 2001 – 2005.
He is believed to have played a key role in arranging His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s maiden visit to South Africa and meeting with former President Nelson Mandela in 1996. Following which the rainbow nation had denied Visa for His Holiness thrice in five years largely out of fears of angering the Chinese government.
