DALAI LAMA TO VISIT CROATIA OCTOBER 20-23

ZAGREB, Sept 14 (Hina) - The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will visit Croatia October 20-23 as a guest of the Croatian people and civil society organisations, the president of the Zagreb Committee for the Dalai Lama's Visit, Miroslav Jezic, announced at a press conference on Friday.#L# The Dalai Lama will arrive in the southern seaport of Split on October 20, and proceed to Zagreb on October 22, where he will give two lectures, on the ethics for the new millennium, and the Buddhist approach to inter-religious dialogue. "At a moment when only our readiness for dialogue, tolerance and forgiveness can save us from a global disaster, Croatia has the honour of a visit by one of the moral examples of our time, who embodies compassion and wisdom," the Committee's statement reads. Jezic added no meetings between the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Croatian authorities are scheduled. He pointed out the Dalai Lama's visit is not anti-Chinese in character, and that without his efforts to find the solution through dialogue and tolerance, the Tibet situation could have been much more complicated. (hina) js