The Dalai Lama, who is on a trip to Europe, met President Kiska on Sunday over lunch in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, according to the Dalai Lama's official website. A posting on the Slovak president's Facebook page on Oct. 16 carried pictures of the meeting with the Dalai Lama, and a note from President Kiska describing it as "a privilege". "We demand the Slovak side clearly recognize the anti-Chinese separatist nature of the Dalai Lama clique and earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns." Few foreign leaders are willing to meet the Dalai Lama these days, fearful of provoking a strong reaction from China, the world's second-largest economy. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against the Chinese.

Source: Egypt Independent October 17, 2016 09:11 UTC