Dharamshala, 16th December: At his official residence, on Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration his first in-person audience. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020, this is His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s first in-person audience. It’s also Sikyong Penpa Tsering’s first official in-person audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama since assuming the role of Sikyong in May. Over the previous six months, he has had multiple virtual audiences with the Dalai Lama.

Following the audience, Sikyong spoke to the media thanking His Holiness the Dalai Lama for granting him the first in-person audience since the pandemic and committed to strive toward resolving the Sino-Tibetan issue and serving the Tibetan people with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guidance and blessings in mind.

Speaking to the media after the blessed meeting, Sikyong stated “For the last one and a half years, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has not met any member of the public in-person due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From today, His Holiness has resumed in-person meetings with the public and the first audience was granted to me as Sikyong. And I would like to express my deep gratitude for that. Gradually, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will start granting audiences to one or two members of the public, although it still would not be possible for the large majority of the people,”

“As for me, my last in-person audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in October 2017. For the last four and a half years, I have not received any in-person audience with His Holiness although I have received four online audiences recently. So, I feel fortunate to have received this first in-person audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama today. I also pledge to perform my duties with the blessings and advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve the Tibetan public and our common cause,” he added.

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