Dalai-Pranab meet sends message to world: Sangay

Dharamsala, Dec 17 : Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay on Saturday said that a meeting between Dalai Lama and President Pranab Mukherjee sent a message of hope to the Tibetans living in Tibet and to governments around the world.

Asking China not to dictate its terms to India, Sangay said: "India is a sovereign country and the head of the state is free to meet anyone he wishes to. China shouldn't be dictating its terms to India."

His reaction came a day after China's objection to Dalai Lama's December 10 meeting with Mukherjee at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi during a children's summit.

China said New Delhi must respect Beijing's "core interests" to avoid "any disturbance" in the bilateral ties.

India on Friday downplayed China's protest, saying the event attended by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader was "non-political".

Beijing accuses the 14th Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, of secessionist activities in Tibet. However, the spiritual leader claims that he only wants more autonomy for Tibet.

The office of Dalai Lama is based in this north Indian hill station.