Dharamsala, June 22, 2009 (IANS) Former union minister George Fernandes has arrived in this hill town in Himachal Pradesh to meet the spiritual head of the Tibetan community, the Dalai Lama, an official statement said Monday.

“Former union minister George Fernandes and former deputy union minister Ajay Singh reached Dharamsala Sunday to meet the Dalai Lama,” a statement posted on the website of the government-in-exile said.

“During their two week sojourn here, Fernandes will also meet officials of the Central Tibetan Administration,” the statement added.

Officials in the government-in-exile said Fernandes is also likely to participate in the celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s birthday July 6.

The Dalai Lama along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge here in 1959. His government-in-exile is headquartered here and is not recognized by any country in the world.