Dalai Lama set to leave for US to meet Obama

Dharamsala, Feb 16(ANI): Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama on Tuesday left Dharamsala to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington.

The Dalai Lama left for Kangra airport and will arrive in the national capital to take a connecting flight to Washington on Wednesday.

"His Holiness has left for Washington on the invitation of President Barack Obama and it was decided long time before when his high level delegation was sent here last year and since then the President was looking forward to this meeting and on February 18 they will meet," said Samdhong Rinpoche, Tibetan Prime Minister in-exile.

Rinpoche said that the Tibetans are hoping for a good outcome out of the meeting.

"It is not very unusual. So, it was a long pre-planned meeting and we hope all will be well," he added.

The White House had announced last week that President Obama and the Dalai Lama would meet on Thursday.

Beijing has already warned that such talks could hurt already strained China-U.S. relations.

China has become increasingly vocal in opposing meetings between foreign leaders and the Dalai Lama, who Beijing deems a dangerous separatist.

Obama told China's leaders during a visit to Beijing in November of his intention to meet the Dalai Lama, and the administration had made it clear in recent days that it would shrug off Chinese opposition and go ahead with the talks. (ANI)