Dalai Lama says that meetings with Chinese officials were respectful

By: ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERLIN - The Dalai Lama says Chinese officials were "respectful" in meetings last week, but large differences remain over the causes of the recent unrest in Tibet.

In an interview published with the German weekly Der Spiegel, the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying that his representatives and Chinese officials agreed to hold a new round of formal talks as soon as possible.

He says a date will be fixed in the coming days.

The Dalai Lama says there are large differences over both the cause and the nature of the recent unrest in Tibet.

However, he says both sides showed a readiness to reach agreement on how to deal with their differences.

Beijing has repeatedly accused the Dalai Lama and his supporters of inciting the recent anti-government protests in Tibet - an allegation the spiritual leader denies.

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