Sify (India)
July 12, 2010

Officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile has
expressed happiness after Indian Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao's meeting with the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala.

Rao met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on
Saturday, and held talks with Tibetan officials.

The Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile, Samdhong
Rinpoche confirmed that the meetings held behind
closed doors were just routine.

"This is not a special thing, it is a regular
annual visit. She was not able to come last year,
2009, because of various (reasons)...His Holiness
was mostly outside, so then this time she made the visit," said Rinpoche.

Nirupama Rao's meeting comes a week after India's
National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon
visited the Chinese capital Beijing.

"She met with Dalai Lama and other Tibetan
officials of Central Tibetan Administration and
Kalon Tripa and all. By and large the whole trip
of her visit (has) gone very well and we are very
happy with that," said Migyur Dorjee, Cabinet
Secretary of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Nirupama Rao also visited the Tibetan monastery
Norbulingka near Dharamshala before leaving for New Delhi. (ANI)