TALLINN, Estonia - Exiled Tibetan religious leader the Dalai Lama Tuesday reiterated he is not seeking independence from China for his homeland and said talks between both sides are the only way to secure stability for the region.
"I believe the best way to solve the Tibet problem is through a mutual agreed solution...I am not seeking independence. That is my mantra," the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Tallinn.
"The Tibetan people have lost their faith in the Chinese government...and this is bad for stability and unity for China so I believe my approach is the best way to achieve general stability and unity," he added.
He has previously called for autonomy for Tibet.
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule that began 10 years earlier, has long sought dialogue with Chinese officials over the future of Tibet. He has said he wants autonomy for the region.
Beijing says he should first accept Tibet as part of China before launching talks.
The 1989 Nobel Peace laureate is on a visit to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, returning to the Baltics for the first time since October 1991, just months after all three threw off Soviet occupation and began building open-market economies.
He met earlier with Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar.
11:18 06-19-01
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