14 August 2008
French Foreign Minister will meet the Dalai Lama
(AFP; AP) French media reports that Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will meet the Dalai Lama who is giving a series of teachings in France till 23 August. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office have already said he will not meet with the Dalai Lama saying he did not ask to meet with the president during his 11-day visit to France. The Mayor of Nantes, where the Dalai Lama will be giving teachings, has said that he will raise the Tibetan flag over the city hall for the duration of his visit. Beijing called on France to carefully handle the "sensitive" issue of Tibet. "China's position on the Tibetan issue is consistent and clear", the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, and "we hope that France will pay attention to China's concerns [and] carefully handle the related important and sensitive issue", it said.