14 April 2008
President Sarkozy meets prominent Buddhist monk
The Elysee Palace has confirmed a meeting that took place between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Matthieu Ricard, a prominent French Buddhist monk known for his role as the Dalai Lama's French translator. The meeting took place in order to discuss "a range of options". "The president was very concerned that a dialogue should be opened and that the question of Tibet be resolved in a satisfactory manner", Ricard said after the discussions. Ricard emphasised that he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the Dalai Lama but met with the President in order to "impartially and sincerely" review the situation in Tibet. Ricard also added that Sarkozy "put the focus on the credibility of the information coming out on behalf of the Tibetans".