News and Views on Tibet

US Senator Jon Ossoff meets Tibetan leaders in Dharamshala

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama(seated) with US Senator Jon Ossoff (right) and his delegation at the former's residence in Dharamshala on Sept. 3. 2022(Photo/OHHDL)

By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 3: The US delegation led by Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia met with exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on Saturday. Senator Ossoff is on an eight-day India visit to strengthen economic, cultural, and security ties with Indian businessmen and politicians.

The delegation had an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence on Saturday morning followed by a visit to the Central Tibetan Administration where they were received by the Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering along with the Standing committee members of the 17th TPiE.

According to the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration, the delegation was apprised of the composition and functioning of the parliament followed by an intensive interaction with the members of the parliament at the Standing committee’s hall. “Deputy Speaker explained that the senator’s visit sends a strong message to the international community as the CTA is the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people, and engagement with the CTA is necessary for resolving Tibet’s issue,” stated the report. She also pointed out that despite internal disagreement, the ultimate objective of the Tibetans remain to resolve the Tibetan issue, “We agree to disagree as it is proof of a vibrant democracy.”

Senator Jon expressed his solidarity as he noted the importance of sustaining a government in exile despite the ongoing difficulties inside Tibet. “[Senator] explained the objective of the delegation’s visit is to understand how Tibetans are keeping alive the flame of the Tibetan struggle in exile which he said is inspiring and encouraging,” CTA run website further stated. This visit comes in the backdrop of the Biden administration’s continuous support for the preservation of the Tibetan language and culture in the US Congress.

The 35-year-old senator participated in a number of important government and business engagements this week before coming to Dharamshala; he met with political leaders and prominent business executives to discuss enhancing the US-India relationship. According to ANI, he also met with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to explore potential areas for collaboration and deepen economic ties between Georgia, his constituency and Maharashtra.

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