Stockholm: Sikyong Penpa Tsering, who arrived in Stockholm on Sunday on the last leg of his tri-nation Europe tour, attended a number of engagements on the first day of the visit. This short visit schedule includes engagements with Swedish parliamentarians, government officials, think tanks, media, international development organisations, Tibetans and Tibet supporters.
On Sunday, Sikyong called on Ms Margareta Cederfelt, Member of Parliament of the Moderate Party at the Swedish parliament and discussed in-depth building new initiatives on Tibet in light of the Chinese government’s new and repressive policies in Tibet.
“I underscored the vital role Sweden can play in leading a strong EU response against the dire situation inside Tibet, especially the ongoing repressive colonial boarding schools & mass DNA collection, at my meeting with MP @MCederfelt today at the Swedish Parliament. We also discussed Sweden’s role in pushing for an EU foreign policy driven by values and mutual respect.” Sikyong tweeted about the meeting.
Margareta, who did not hesitate to take time just before the prime minister vote, discussed with Sikyong the prospects of bolstering Sweden and EU cooperation towards addressing the situation in Tibet, and to that end, assured to convene the Tibetan parliamentary friendship group again.
The meeting was the first that any friendship group in parliament has organized since the election.
Representative Sonam Frasi, Office of Tibet-London, President of Swedish Tibet Committee Mattias Bjornerstedt and President of Tibetan community in Sweden Rinchen Tsomo joined the meeting held at the parliament.
Later, Sikyong and the delegates (including vice president Nyima Sherlhokhangsar) Swedish Tibet Committee held an hourlong meeting with Olena Rogozina, Business Lead at the Sweden Organization for Individual Relieve, SOIR-IM, at its office in Stockholm.
On the sideline of the daylong engagements, Sikyong appeared on a radio interview for Nanna Hallberg, Radio Show Host and a Columnist Host of ‘Kulturnytt radio show, top radio channel in Sweden and a columnist for ‘Expressen’, one of the two nationwide evening newspapers in Sweden.
The evening engagements will include a meeting with the Swedish Tibet Committee, friends of Tibet, and a meeting with the Tibetan community in Sweden at the Park Inn by Radisson Stockholm Solna respectively.
Tomorrow on the final day of his official visit here, Sikyong will be holding talks at the Swedish parliament and a prominent think tank in Stockholm.