Russian Foreign Ministry hails results of Ilyumzhinov’s visit to China

Dharamsala, 11 November 2003: According to a report by Interfax, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov has praised the results of Kalmyk President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s recent visit to China, which also took him to Tibet.

Mr. Losyukov expressed hopes that the visit will help improve relations between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities.

“Ilyumzhinov visited China, spoke with Chinese officials, and saw where things stand in Tibet. All the information obtained during the visit may be made known to the Dalai Lama. It will probably help him improve relations with the Chinese authorities. We view this as a very positive development,” Mr. Losyukov told Interfax.

Welcoming the Chinese decision to invite Mr. Ilyumzhinov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said: “We ourselves asked China about it. I personally, and our foreign minister [Igor Ivanov], discussed this issue with Chinese officials more than once. Our discussions were also aimed at searching for ways to enable Russian Buddhists to maintain contacts with the Dalai Lama,” he added.

Interfax also quoted Mr. Losyukov as saying that Kalmyk president’s visit to China “did not produce a solution, but was a step toward better understanding of the problem, by Ilyumzhinov himself, our Buddhists, and, probably, the Dalai Lama himself.”

With regard to granting entry visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the future, the Russian deputy foreign minister told Interfax: “We have not issued an entry-visa to the Dalai Lama, because China views him as an anti-Chinese figure,” Losyukov said. He added that “this naturally raises some questions among our Buddhists.”

“We think that we are moving in the right direction as far as the Dalai Lama, our attitude to him, and possible trips are concerned. We cannot ignore this issue, because the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of a considerable number of Buddhists,” Mr. Losyukov added.

Mr. Losyukov noted that the Dalai Lama’s relations with China “is a Chinese problem, which has an impact on our [Russia’s] internal affairs.” “This is why we would like China to succeed in settling its disputes with the Dalai Lama.”.

“Ilyumzhinov is right when he says that he does not want to be an intermediary [between Beijing and the Dalai Lama]. This is China’s internal issue. But we will welcome any efforts that can help settle it,” Mr. Losyukov said.

Mr. Ilyumzhinov told the Interfax that “Tibet is China’s internal issue. I have known the Dalai Lama for 13 years. We have often met. As a Buddhist, I cannot seek the role of an intermediary in the dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama had asked him in August to visit Tibet and see for himself what is going on, Mr. Ilyumzhinov told the Interfax.

China’s officials also “wanted me to bring impartial information to His Holiness’s attention,” he said. “The Chinese Foreign Ministry told me that all information from Tibet does not reach the Dalai Lama,” he noted.

“I will try to have His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV return to Tibet,” Mr. Ilyumzhinov was quoted by the Interfax report.

Mr. Ilyumzhinov was in Dharamsala to invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Kalmykia Republic of the Russian Federation.