Obama is committed to meet Dalai Lama: US

Sunday, January 24, 2010

PTI
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FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2010, file photo President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall-style meeting at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio, as part of his "White House to Main Street Tour". Seizing a chance to reconnect, Obama will use his first State of the Union address Wednesday, Jan. 26, to try to persuade the people of a frustrated nation that he is on their side, aides close to Obama say. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Washington -- Notwithstanding objection from China, the White House has said US president Barack Obama is committed to meet Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and this has been conveyed to Beijing.

“Most certainly,” White House spokesman Mike Hammer told foreign journalists at the Washington Press Centre here, when asked if Obama would be meeting the Dalai Lama this year.

“The president has made clear to the Chinese government that we intend to meet with the Dalai Lama, it has been his every intention,” Hammer said.

However, he did not give any date of the meeting.

Last year, the White House and the office of the Dalai Lama had said the two leaders would be meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader after the China visit of the US president in mid-November.

The Dalai was in Washington in October. This was for the first time in more than a decade that a US president did not meet the Dalai Lama while he was in Washington.

Hammer said during his trip to China last year, Obama made it clear to the Chinese leadership that the US wants to strengthen the relationship with them.