Lib Dems attack Alex Salmond over failure to meet Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama: Coming to Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness later this month.

The First Minister is pandering to China by failing to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is in the country from this weekend and will speak at events in Dundee, Edinburgh and Inverness between June 21 and 24.

Willie Rennie MSP, the Scottish Lib Dems' leader, called on Alex Salmond to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader - no meeting has been organised.

"This is a missed opportunity," said Mr Rennie. "By failing to meet with the globally respected spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the First Minister may leave the impression that he is more concerned with pandering to the diktat of the Chinese government than promoting human rights."

However, the Scottish Government said the event was not a political one and that it would not be appropriate for Mr Salmond to meet the Dalai Lama in the context of the visit.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The First Minister has only received one invitation, and that was to be part of the audience when the Dalai Lama received an award in London on May 14 - when the First Minister was in Norway on official business.

"Next week the Dalai Lama is in Scotland on a pastoral visit as a religious leader. He is being properly recognised at a meeting hosted by the Presiding Officer in Queensberry House on behalf of the faith communities on a non political basis.

"This is an appropriate and respectful way to receive an international religious figure. These arrangements are a matter for the Presiding Officerm not government - and given the nature of the event our understanding is that no party politicians have been invited."

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