(AFP) |May 11, 20123:40 pm
VIENNA—Austria’s Chancellor Werner Faymann and Vice-Chancellor Michael Spindelegger are expected to meet with the Dalai Lama during his visit to Austria from May 17-27, their offices said Thursday.
Faymann was scheduled to meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader alongside Vienna Archbishop Christoph Schoenborn, the chancellor’s office said, specifying however that this would occur “in a religious context.”
A meeting between Spindelegger, who is also foreign minister, and the Dalai Lama was meanwhile “in the works,” spokesman Alexander Schallenberg said, adding that the Chinese authorities had been informed.
No encounter however was planned with President Heinz Fischer.
In 2007, talks between the Dalai Lama and then-chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer prompted protests from the Chinese authorities and a minor rift in bilateral ties.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking the independence of Tibet, which it claims as its own.
The Tibetan leader’s visit also comes after Austria last year celebrated 40 years of diplomatic ties with China, prompting a raft of business deals and a wave of high-level visits in both directions, culminating in a trip to Vienna by Chinese President Hu Jintao in October.
During his upcoming visit to Austria, the Dalai Lama will give a series of talks and seminars around the country.
Over the years, the Tibetan leader has paid regular visits to the alpine country, including to see his late friend the Austrian alpinist Heinrich Harrer, whose autobiography inspired the 1999 film “Seven Years in Tibet” with Brad Pitt.
