DALAI LAMA PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DIPLOMATIC

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 001233 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR AND S/ES-O E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PREF IN CH SUBJECT: DALAI LAMA PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY ¶1. (SBU) On June 15, Representative of the Dalai Lama in India, Tempa Tsering, delivered a letter from the Dalai Lama to President Barack Obama. The letter commends the President's efforts to reach out to Muslim countries and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tsering confirmed that President Obama's speech in Cairo prompted the Dalai Lama to send the letter in praise of the U.S.'s new diplomatic efforts. ¶2. (U) Below is the text of the letter. We will forward the original and send a scanned copy to SCA/INS. ¶3. (SBU) Begin text: June 12, 2009 His Excellency Barack H. Obama President of the United States of America The White House Washington, DC 20500 U.S.A. Your Excellency, I admire your efforts to reach out to countries, especially Muslim countries which have had some unfounded misgivings about the United States. Equally significant is the position you have taken on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis that has been going on for so many decades. These are the kinds of approaches that a great and powerful nation like the United States should take. I have said as much to my friends in the United States ever since my first trip to your country in 1979. I am deeply encouraged that you are actually taking such steps in this direction. As Your Excellency knows, I have always believed in the wisdom and power of dialogue rather than violence in resolving world problems. In our efforts to solve the Tibetan problem we have never wavered from the path of non-violence and have pursued the path of dialogue with the Chinese authorities - unfortunately without much success so far. Because of my firm belief in nonviolence and the futility and unpredictability of using force I wrote to President Bush on September 12, 2001 of the need to tackle the crisis accordingly and shared my thoughts with him during subsequent meetings as well. I have long believed that adopting principled leadership, based on the high ideals of the founding fathers of the USA, and taking a generous, ethical and compassionate attitude as the world's most powerful nation, not only enhances the reputation of the USA, but also contributes tremendously to reducing tension in the world. I shall therefore be following these promising development with great hope and appreciation, and pray for their success. With my prayers and good wishes, Yours sincerely, //signed// End text. BURLEIGH