Honorary Citizen of Rome

Dalai Lama invited to receive Rome honour

Rome's city government announced Tuesday that it has invited Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to visit next month to be named an honorary citizen of the Italian capital.

"He has not yet confirmed whether he can come," said a spokesman for the city governed by right-wing Mayor Gianni Alemanno.

The city council had adopted in September a motion conferring the title of honorary citizen on the Dalai Lama as advocate for human rights and for "his international efforts to bring about a peaceful solution for Tibet", which fell under Chinese communist control in 1951.

He was supposed to receive the title last autumn but was prevented from traveling to Rome because of ill health, the city spokesman said.


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