Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said he was hopeful that Manmohan Singh would raise the matter of Tibet during the Prime Minister’s visit to the US.

The Dalai Lama portrayed Manmohan Singh as a ‘clean politician’.

"The Indian prime minister is a very honest person and a clean politician. India and Tibet have a very close spiritual relation. I am sure that whatever the prime minister can appeal to Obama, he will do," the Dalai Lama said when asked what his expectations were from Manmohan Singh's four-day trip to Washington.

"I have no worry but I understand that he should be practical and realistic. The Government of India and the US have certain limitations and that is also a reality," the Dalai Lama said.

During his trip to Italy earlier this week, the Dalai Lama had appreciated Obama's plea to Chinese leaders to hold talks with him over the Tibet issue.

"The Government of India and we have accepted Tibet as an autonomous region of the Republic of China. President Obama must have had serious talks with the Chinese leaders (on the Tibet issue) and I must appreciate that," he said on the sidelines of the press conference.