In an endeavor to keep Tibet in the international spotlight ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August, the Tibetan spiritual head Dalai Lama has reached Germany on Thursday May, 15. The Germany visit marks the initiation of the five country tour by Dalai Lama in order to highlight and seek support for Tibet issue. It has been two months now since the Chinese crackdown on violence in Tibet. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is also scheduled to visit the United States, Australia, Britain and France after Germany.

 

In Germany, however, the Dalai Lama will meet only the Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul as a representative of the government on Monday 19 May. At the same time, he will also deliver a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel is currently in Latin America. Moreover, the Dalai Lama will also not meet Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is the Foreign Minister cum vice-chancellor and President Horst Koehler.

 

During the Tibetan spiritual leader’s previous visit to Germany in September, he had met the chancellor Angela Merkel and this had raised the hackles of the Chinese government.  Numbness in the relationship between Beijing and Berlin persisted and the situation began to turn normal only recently. Wen he landed in Frankfurt, the Dalai Lama was received by the state premier of Hesse, Roland Koch. Dalai Lama expressed his happiness to come to Germany once more.