Dharamsala, September 14 - US President Barack Obama's emissary, Valerie Jarrett, called on His Holiness the Dalai Lama today at the latter’s residence here. Jarrett discussed with His Holiness on the best way the United States could assist in the resolution for the Tibetan issue, particularly in the light of the first visit by President Obama to China in November, a statement on the Tibetan leader’s official website said. His Holiness also conveyed his strong belief that the United States and China need to have very good and principled relations.

Ms. Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison, conveyed President Obama’s greetings to the Tibetan leader who returned here Sunday from a five – day tour of Slovakia and Czech Republic. She had been sent to brief His Holiness about the Obama Administration's approach to the Tibetan issue.

During the talks that lasted more than two hours, the Tibetan leader expressed his concerns on a number of issues, including global conflicts and matters relating to the environment. He applauded President Obama's initiative to tackle these issues through cooperation, outreach and dialogue and urged him to continue doing so.

Jarrett introduced State Department Under Secretary Maria Otero to His Holiness as the designated Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues.

Reiterating President Obama's commitment to support the Tibetan people in protecting their distinct religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage and securing respect for their human rights and civil liberties, Jarrett said President Obama commends His Holiness for being “consistent in looking for a solution based on Tibetan autonomy within the People's Republic of China.”

His Holiness also updated Jarrett on the dialogue process with the Chinese leadership, including the presentation of a comprehensive Memorandum on Tibetan autonomy to the Chinese leadership.

His Holiness greatly appreciated President Obama's concern for the situation in Tibet and expressed hope that the Tibetan people can see progress in the resolution of their problem during Obama’s presidency.