Pringle Welcomes Cross Party Tibet Visit

3.26.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 2nd Aug 2009

Mike Pringle MSP has welcomed news that former Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer David Steel is set to visit Tibet with the aim of encouraging a dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities.

Lord Steel will be accompanied by a Labour MP, a Conservative MP and an independent peer. The four UK politicians have been invited by the Chinese authorities and will spend two days in Beijing before travelling on the new train to Tibet.

Commenting, Lord Steel said:

"Our objective is to encourage the dialogue between the representatives of His Holiness and the Chinese government - the example of Scottish devolution being highly relevant".

Mike Pringle said

"This is very good news.

"David was one of the architects of Scottish Devolution and I am confident that his experience will prove invaluable to this delegation. It is vitally important the representatives from all UK Parliaments and parties continue to work together to foster the dialogue between the Tibetan and Chinese authorities."

David Steel has a 40-year association with the largest Tibetan monastery in Europe at Eskdalemuir just a few miles from where he lives. He has met with the Dalai Lama there, in London, and last year at his exiled base in Dharamsala.

Mike Pringle MSP is the convener of the cross party group on Tibet at the

Scottish Parliament.