DHARAMSALA: The Office of Tibet and the Tibetan community welcomed deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, on his arrival in Australia this morning.

The deputy speaker, who was accompanied by Mr Tsultrim Tenzin, a member of parliament, was received by Mr Tenzin Lobsang, vice-president of the Tibetan community and other members, on their arrival at Melbourne in the morning and by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Representative Mr Sonam Dagpo and officials of Office of Tibet at Canberra in the afternoon.

The deputy speaker gave a public talk to members of the Tibetan community in Canberra.

He will visit a Tibetan Buddhist centre tomorrow morning, and leave for Sydney in the afternoon.

His itinerary in Sydney from 27-28 December includes visits to three Tibetan Buddhist centres, public talk for the Tibetan community, meetings with members of the Tibet Support Groups and the Tibetan media.

At the invitation of the New South Wales Han-Tibetan Friendship Association and International Sino-Tibetan Study Group, he will attend a two-day Han-Tibetan dialogue conference in Sydney from 29-30 December. The conference aims to improve and strengthen relationship between the Chinese  and Tibetan peoples, the organisers said. Over 100 participants, including scholars, politicians, leaders and members of overseas Chinese NGOs and the Tibetan community, will attend the conference. The participants are from North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific countries, including India, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia.