Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday he looks forward to a third visit to Taiwan later this year by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with Tenzinphuntsok Atisha, chairman of the Tibet Religious Foundation of the Dalai Lama, which has operated in Taipei since 1997 as the representative office of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala in northern India to boost bilateral ties.
Chen said he has followed the protocol of receiving an outgoing foreign ambassador or envoy in receiving Atisha, who will soon end his Taipei stint and return to Dharamsala. "The move symbolizes progress in the engagement between Taiwan and the Tibetan government-in-exile, " Chen said, adding that the meeting also marked a significant step toward normalization of bilateral relations.
In a speech delivered at the inaugural ceremony for the quasi-official Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation a day earlier, Chen attributed the substantial improvement in bilateral relations to the fact that Taiwan no longer treats Tibetans as mainland Chinese citizens. "Exiled Tibetan people now can apply for visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Tibet Religious Foundation of the Dalai Lama. This is a breakthrough in our engagement, " Chen told his guest.
Chen said the inception of the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation also marks a significant step forward in bilateral ties. In the past, he noted, Taiwan-Tibetan engagement was inconvenient and could only be conducted behind the scenes.
From now on, Chen went on, the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation and the Tibet Religious Foundation of the Dalai Lama can forge normal engagement and play active and constructive roles in pushing for closer ties.
He said a Taiwan delegation composed of lawmakers, scholars and business executives will visit Dharamsala in February to extend a formal invitation to the Dalai Lama to make a third visit to Taiwan. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader visited Taiwan in 1997 and again in 2001.
For his part, Atisha said the establishment of the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation has ushered in a new era for bilateral relations. "The congratulatory message from the Dalai Lama for the foundation's inauguration also signifies his personal gratitude for Taiwan's assistance and support for the Tibetan government-in-exile," Atisha said, adding that he also appreciates all the assistance Taiwan has extended to him during his service in Taipei.