DHARAMSALA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has written to Petr Pavel to congratulate him on his election as fourth President of the Czech Republic.

"I have fond memories," he wrote, "of my visits to the Czech Republic beginning in March 1990 during President Vaclav Havel's leadership following the collapse of communism".

"Given the Czech Republic's recent history, including the period of the Velvet Revolution, the Czech people are well-placed to show the world the value of non-violence, freedom and democracy.

"It has been an honour for me to visit your country several times over the years, and I have been deeply moved by the interest that people, young and old, have shown in my efforts to promote human values with a sense of the oneness of humanity and the importance of inter-religious harmony.

"The world is passing through very trying times. I wish you every success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead in fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of the Czech Republic," His Holiness concluded.

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