Ceremonial Welcome for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in DharamsalaSunday, 14 December 2008, 10:28 a.m.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives a warm welcome upon his arrival at the Gaggal Airport, near Dharamshala, India, on Saturday, 13 December 2008. His Holiness concluded a two-week visits to Nigeria and Europe.

Dharamshala:
Thousands of Tibetans carrying traditional white scarves, flowers and
incense, joined by local Indian residents and well-wishers, accorded a
warm and ceremonial welcome to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his
arrival in Dharamshala on Saturday. His Holiness returned after
successfully concluding visits to Nigeria and three European countries.The
deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Mrs Dolma Gyari,
acting Kalon Tripa Ven Tsering Phuntsok and Kalon Ngodup Dongchung
received His Holiness at the Gaggal Airport near Dharamshala.
Representatives from both official and non-governmental organizations
were present at the airport for the reception.Other dignitaries
of the Central Tibetan Administration, including the Chief Justice
Commissioner, justice commissioners, members of Tibetan Parliament,
members of the Kashag, heads of autonomous bodies and secretaries of
the departments welcomed His Holiness at his residence.

His
Holiness left Dharamshala on 25 November for visits to Lagos in
Nigeria, from where he left for Czech Republic, Belgium and Poland.The
highlights of His Holiness’s visit was his address to the plenary
session of the European Parliament in Brussels on 4 December and
meetings with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and fellow Nobel Peace
Laureates marking the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel
Peace Prize to former Polish President Lech Walesa in Poland.France’s
President Nicolas Sarkozy, who currently holds the rotating presidency
of the European Union, shared his genuine concern for Tibet during his
meeting with His Holiness in Gdansk, Poland, on 6 December.“I
had a very nice meeting and he (President Sarkozy) also showed genuine
concern about Tibet and I expressed my appreciation to him that in
spite of inconvenience he stood firm on principle,” His Holiness told
reporters about the meeting.President
Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday he “regrets” tensions with China over his
recent meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and expressed
confidence that relations would soon improve. “I regret this friction,”
Sarkozy said at an EU summit in Brussels. “It is in Europe’s interest
to have good relations with China and it is in China’s interest to have
good relations with Europe.” “We will find the means to talk again, but
not at the price of denying our own European values,” Sarkozy said.In
Czech Republic, His Holiness met Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek,
members of Parliament, deputy prime minister and former president of
Czech Republic, Mr Havel.

During his
visit to Poland from 5 –12 December, His Holiness met with President
Lech Kaczynski, the speaker of the Senate, Hon. Bogdan Borusewicz, and
addressed members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, parliament members
and members of the Polish Parliamentary Group for Tibet.The
Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the oldest and one of the most
prestigious universities in Poland, conferred its honourary doctorate
on His Holiness for “promoting the attitude of respect and
understanding towards people of different worldviews and religious
beliefs and peaceful struggle for Tibet’s freedom and the recognition
of the human rights of its people”. The Polish city of Wraclaw bestowed His Holiness with its honourary citizenship.