China on Tuesday warned that countries receiving the Dalai Lama on his current European tour will "severely damage" relations with Beijing.
"Any irresponsible moves by any country over this issue will constitute gross intervention in the internal affairs of China and will severely damage relations with those countries," foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang told reporters.
During his visit, the Dalai Lama met with the Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and other top Danish elected officials, which drew an angry reaction from China, warning of damage to bilateral ties. The Dalai Lama denies the accusation, saying he wants only meaningful autonomy for his homeland.
Monday Dalai Lama said that on his first visit to Iceland he was pleased that his first public engagement was an inter-faith event that was keeping in tune with one of his main commitments of promoting inter-religious harmony. The Dalai Lama will be visiting the Parliament of Iceland at the invitation of the Parliament Speaker, Mrs. Asta Ragnheidur, to address members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He will also be visiting the University of Iceland to participate in an educational seminar with top academics especially in the field of philosophy and religious studies.
Information for this report was provided by AFP and Tibetnet.