French Parliamentarians urges Sino-Tibetan Dialogue to continue

Bureau du Tibet, Paris

11 May, Paris: A DECLARATION OF THE FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS urging Chinese government to continue dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in order to resolve the Tibet issue has been presented to Mr Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness yesterday during his meeting with Mr Lionnel Luca, President of the Working Group on Tibet at the National Assembly here today.

The declaration received signature of 171 MPs from the Lower House and 74 senators from the Upper House of the French Parliament.

Press statement and Declaration made by French Parliamentarians

Mr Lodi Gyari, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Special Envoy, during his 10th May 2007 visit to Paris, was received by Mr Lionnel Luca, President of the Working Group on Tibet at the French lower House, National Assembly.

Welcoming Mr Gyari, Mr Luca reaffirmed the indefectible support to the just cause of the Tibetan people by a great number of his colleagues and also by the French people. Mr Gyari in his meeting thanked Mr Luca and the French Parliament for their consistent and tremendous support to the Tibetan people. He stated, the long standing support to the Tibetan issue by the members of the Parliament who truly represent the French people is a source of immense encouragement to all the people of Tibet, and urged Mr Luca to continue to bring this support especially at this critical moment. He said, the Tibetan administration and people value highly this precious support of the people and their elected members since it is constant and authentic. Mr Gyari expressed his hope that after the legislative elections of 17th June 2007, the Tibet Working Group which was first constituted in 1990 could be reconstituted.

Mr Lionnel Luca presented the Declaration Text (as under) bearing the signature of 171 MPs and 74 senators of France to Mr Lodi Gyari. Mr Gyari who was accompanied by ICT Director Mr Bhuchung Tsering, shared information regarding the current status of Sino-Tibetan dialogue and clarified some recent misunderstandings. He reasserted the determination of His Holiness and the exile administration to continue to work and find a solution through dialogue with the Chinese government. He concluded, “if there is a political will from the Beijing leadership, we can find a mutually acceptable solution.”

THE FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS CALL FOR A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THE DALAI LAMA'S ENVOYS

Fully aware how urgent it has become to reach, before the Olympic Games of 2008, for a solution to the political issue of Tibet that is mutually beneficial to the Government of the People’s Republic of China and to the Tibetan people represented by the Dalai Lama, the French members of the both Houses of the Parliament, support the resolution text adopted by the European Parliament on 15th February 2007 regarding the dialogue between the Chinese government and the envoys of the Dalai Lama.

The present declaration of the French parliamentarians insistantly urge the Government of the People's Republic of China and the envoys of the Dalai Lama, despite their differences over some fundamentantal issues, to continue their dialogue without any pre-condition and focussing on the future, in order to find a pragmatic solution by respecting the territorial integrity of China and the aspirations of the Tibetan people.

Mr. Lionnel Luca and Louis de Broissia, respectively President of the Tibet Group at the National Assembly and at the Senate, have forwarded this declaration to the Speakers of both Houses of the Parliament, the President and the Premier of the France, as well as to the President of the People’s Republic of China and to the Dalai Lama.

As of 10th May 2007, the text has received signature of 171 parliamentarians of the National Assembly and 74 senators of France.

LIST OF 171 SIGNATORY, MPs

Mrss. Lionnel LUCA, President of Working Group on Tibet, National Assembly, Jean- Pierre ABELIN, Pierre ALBERTINI, Gilles ARTIGUES, Jean-Paul BACQUET, Pierre-Christophe BAGUET, Gérard BAPT, Jean BARDET, Mme Brigitte BARÈGES, MM. Jacques BASCOU, Christian BATAILLE, Jean-Claude BATEUX, Jean-Claude BEAUCHAUD, Patrick BEAUDOUIN, Jean-Claude BEAULIEU, Jacques-Alain BÉNISTI, Marc BERNIER, Jean-Michel BERTRAND, Gabriel BIANCHERI, Jean-Louis BIANCO, Claude BIRRAUX, Etienne BLANC, Patrick BLOCHE, Augustin BONREPAUX, Bruno BOURG-BROC, Mme Danielle BOUSQUET, MM. Loïc BOUVARD, Michel BOUVARD, Jacques BRUNHES, Yves BUR, François CALVET, Bernard CARAYON, Pierre CARDO, Antoine CARRÉ, Richard CAZENAVE, Jean-Yves CHAMARD, Jean-Paul CHANTEGUET, Hervé de CHARRETTE, Jean-François CHOSSY, Jean-Louis CHRIST, Gilles COCQUEMPOT, Pierre COHEN, Georges COLOMBIER, Jean-Michel COUVE, Jean-Pierre DECOOL, Marcel DEHOUX, Michel DELEBARRE, Richard DELL’AGNOLA, Patrick DELNATTE, Jean DELOBEL, Bernard DEPIERRE, Michel DIEFENBACHER, William DUMAS, Jean-Louis DUMONT, Frédéric DUTOIT, Francis FALALA, Georges FENECH, Jean-Michel FERRAND, Daniel FIDELIN, André FLAJOLET, Jean-Claude FLORY, Philippe FOLLIOT, Pierre FORGUES, Mmes Geneviève GAILLARD, Catherine GÉNISSON, MM. Guy GEOFFROY, Alain GEST, Bruno GILLES, Joël GIRAUD, Maurice GIRO, Claude GOASGUEN, Jean-Pierre GORGES, Jean-Pierre GRAND, François GROSDIDIER, Louis GUÉDON, François GUILLAUME, David HABIB, Laurent HÉNART, Pierre HÉRIAUD, Antoine HERT, Francis HILLMEYER, Jean-Louis IDIART, Mme Muguette JACQUAINT, MM.Edouard JACQUE, Eric JALTON, Olivier JARDÉ, Christian JEANJEAN, Didier JULIA, Armand JUNG, Mansour KAMARDINE, Aimé KERGUERIS, Christian KERT, Mme Nathalie KOSCIUSKO-MORIZET, MM. Jean-Pierre KUCHEIDA, Jean-Christophe LAGARDE, Patrick LABAUNE, Jack LANG, Jean LASSALLE, Jean LAUNAY, Robert LECOU, Jean-Yves LE DRIAN, Marc LE FUR, Michel LEJEUNE, Jacques LE NAY, Guy LENGAGNE, Arnaud LEPERCQ, Jean-Pierre LE RIDANT, Claude LETEURTRE, Mmes Geneviève LEVY, Martine LIGNIÈRES-CASSOU, MM. François LONCLE, Alain MADELIN, Richard MALLIÉ, Noël MAMÈRE, Thierry MARIANI, Hervé MARITON, Mme Muriel MARLAND-MILITELLO, MM. Jean MARSAUDON, Patrice MARTIN- LALANDE,Jacques MASDEU-ARUS, Denis MERVILLE, Gilbert MEYER, Pierre MICAUX, Jean MICHEL, Didier MIGAUD, Georges MOTHRON, Etienne MOURROT, Alain NÉRI, Jean-Marc NESME, Mme Bernadette PAIX, MM. Christian PAUL, Nicolas PERRUCHOT, Michel PIRON, Mme Josette PONS, MM. Daniel PRÉVOST, Jean PRORIOL, Paul QUILÈS, Michel RAISON, Mme Marcelle RAMONET, MM. Jean-François RÉGÈRE, Jean-Luc REITZER, Jacques REMILLER, Dominique RICHARD, Jérôme RIVIÈRE, Jean ROATTA, Mme Chantal ROBIN-RODRIGO, MM. François ROCHEBLOINE, Philippe ROUAULT, Jean-Marc ROUBAUD, Rudy SALLES, François SAUVADET, François SCELLIER, Bernard SCHREINER, Yves SIMON, Michel SORDI, Daniel SPAGNOU, Mme Michèle TABAROT, MM. Michel TERROT, Dominique TIAN, Georges TRON, Christian VANNESTE, Mme Béatrice VERNAUDON, MM. Jean-Sébastien VIALATTE, Alain VIDALIES, François-Xavier VILLAIN, Jean-Claude VIOLLET, Philippe VITEL, Michel VOISIN, Lilian ZANCHI, Mme Marie-Jo ZIMMERMANN, M. Michel ZUMKELLER.

LIST OF 74 SIGNATORY, SENATORS

Mr Louis de BROISSIA, President of Working Group of Tibet, Senate ; Ms Jacqueline ALQUIER, Michèle ANDRÉ, Mrss Denis BADRÉ, René BEAUMONT, Pierre BERNARD-REYMOND, Laurent BÉTEILLE, Jacques BLANC, Mme Marie-Christine BLANDIN, MM. Maurice BLIN, Jean Marie BOCKEL, Dominique BRAYE, Mmes Paulette BRISEPIERRE, M. François-Noël BUFFET, Monique CERISIER BEN GUIGA, MM. Yvon COLLIN, Yves DAUGE, Mme Christiane DEMONTES, Eric DOLIGE, MM. Daniel DUBOIS, Jean Paul ÉMIN, Jean FAURE, Mme Françoise FERAT, MM. Bernard FOURNIER, Jean FRANÇOIS-PONCET, Jean-Claude FRECON, Mme Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM, MM. Alain GERARD, Francis GIRAUD, Paul GIROD, Jean-Pierre GODEFROY, Louis GRILLOT, Francis GRIGNON, Georges GRUILLOT, Hubert HAENEL, Pierre HERISSON, Jean-François HUMBERT, Benoît HURE, Pierre JARLIER, Charles JOSSELIN, Alain JOURNET, Mmes Christiane KAMMERMAN, Elisabeth LAMURE, MM. Jean-René LECERF, Dominique LECLERC, Jacques LEGENDRE, Jean-François LE GRAND, André LEJEUNE, Philippe LEROY, Philippe MADRELLE, Mme Lucienne MALOVRY, MM. Jean-Pierre MICHEL, Alain MILON, Gérard MIQUEL, Mme Catherine MORIN DESAILLY, M. Philippe NOGRIX, Mme Anne-Marie PAYET, MM. Jean PEPIN, Jean-Pierre PLANCADE, Henri de RAINCOURT, Ivan RENAR, Thierry REPENTIN, Roland RIES, Gérard ROUJAS, Mme Patricia SCHILLINGER, MM. Jean Pierre SUEUR, Yannick TEXIER, François TRUCY, André VALLET, André VANTOMME, Alain VASSELLE, Mme Dominique VOYNET, M. Jean-Pierre VIAL.