Dalai Lama's Envoys Meet Chinese Officials in Switzerland for Fourth Round of Talks

The Dalai Lama's envoys met with Chinese officials on June 30 and July 1 in Bern, Switzerland, according to a press release by the Tibetan government-in-exile. The fourth round of talks between the envoys and Chinese officials took place in the Chinese Embassy in the Swiss capital. The Tibetan delegation met with Vice Minister Zhu Weiqun and Mr. Sithar of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

Special Envoy Lodi Gyari and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen traveled to China in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and met with Chinese government and Communist Party officials. The envoys visited Beijing, the Tibet Autonomous Region, autonomous Tibetan prefectures in Yunnan and Sichuan, and several Chinese cities.

In Bern, the envoys were assisted by Sonam Norbu Dagpo (head of the Tibetan government-in-exile's Department of Information and International Relations), Tsegyam Ngaba (the Dalai Lama's representative in Taiwan), and Bhuchung Tsering (a member of the exiled government's Task Force on Negotiations). Tsegyam Ngaba did not accompany the envoys on their visits to China.

Details about the meeting are not available. The envoys customarily release a public statement about their meetings after they brief the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Tibetan delegation will return to Dharamsala next week.

Additional information about the status of dialogue between the Dalai Lama or his representatives and the Chinese government is available in the CECC 2004 Annual Report.