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Russia denies entry visa to Dalai Lama

Interfax

The Dalai Lama gestures during a press conference at Tsugla Khang temple in Mcleod Ganj, India, on 17 April 2010.File photo/Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

Russian authorities have declined a request by the Kalmykia Buddhist Association on granting a Russian entry visa to the Dalai Lama, Kalmyk Supreme Lama, Telo Tulku Rinpoche, told journalists.

The Kalmyk Supreme Lama said he had received a letter from Moscow saying that “the Dalai Lama’s visit to Russia would be taken by Beijing especially sensitively in the current year marking a jubilee of China’s and our common victory in WWII.”

The letter also says that the possibility of the Dalai Lama’s pastoral visit to Russia could be considered later, as soon as there are signs that tensions in his relations with the Chinese official authorities lessen, he said.

“Although this refusal is disappointing, we will not stop but will continue working in this direction. We hope that His Holiness’ pastoral visit to Russia will take place anyway,” he said.

Interfax has yet to obtain confirmation of the information that the Dalai Lama was denied a visa from other sources.

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Published in Interfax website