Tibetan stringer Thupten Gelek reported that the Dalai Lama reiterated his commitment to seeking a genuine autonomy for Tibet during his first day of visit in Rome. The Tibetan leader added that his Middle Way Approach is based on the statement of the late Deng Xiaoping who stated that except for the independence of Tibet all other questions could be discussed and resolved. The Dalai Lama was responding to questions by a reporter to recent remarks by the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on preconditions for negotiations on the issue of Tibet. The Tibetan leader is scheduled to meet the Pope tomorrow.