US COORDINATOR FOR TIBET SET TO VISIT INDIA, MAY MEET DALAI LAMA

NEW DELHI: The United States special coordinator for Tibetan issues, Uzra Zeya, is expected to travel to India and meet the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala next month — the first major contact between the two sides under the Biden administration.

Zeya, the under secretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights, was appointed the special coordinator for Tibetan issues last December.

She is expected to be in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh for meetings with the Dalai Lamai and leaders of the Tibetan government-in-exile during May 18-19, people familiar with the matter said. Such visits by senior US officials are usually arranged in close coordination with the Indian side. It is unlikely the US side would have gone ahead with arrangements for the visit without a nod from the external affairs ministry.

The people cited above said the visit had been in the pipeline since last year, especially since the Dalai Lama, 86, has largely been confined to Dharamsala for the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Within the Tibetan government in-exile, the upcoming visit is being seen as a strong demonstration of US support for the Tibetan cause.

Zeya, an Indian-american, is responsible for coordinating US government policies, programmes and projects concerning Tibetan issues. She has been tasked by US secretary of state Antony Blinken to promote “substantive dialogue” between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives and democratically elected Tibetan leaders for a “negotiated agreement on Tibet”.