Envoys of Dalai Lama describe initial talks with China as 'frank'

NEW DELHI: Envoys of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on Tuesday returned to the national capital after initial round of talks with the Chinese government, and described the dialogue as 'frank'. They said a statement would be issued after they report to the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala.

"We have just come back, and we will issue statement on Wednesday but we had frank discussions and we have agreed for the next talks," said Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, one of the envoys.

The talks were the first since the anti-Beijing riots in Lhasa in March, and unrest in other areas of Tibet and the world.

The closed-door meeting took place in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, China blames the Dalai Lama for the unrest in the mountainous region for nearly two decades.

Chinese state media quoted Chinese officials as saying the unrest added new "obstacles," a sign that contact between the two sides, already fraught with mistrust, was likely to get even more difficult.

China agreed to the talks last month after Western Governments urged it to reopen a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who wants a high level of autonomy, not independence for Tibet. (ANI)