By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, August 17: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia August 16 at the invitation of the Estonian Institute of Buddhism and the Riigikogu Tibet Support Group (Estonian Parliamentary group for Tibet).

On his third visit to the Baltic state, the Tibetan spiritual leader is scheduled to meet Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia later today.

Earlier reports had indicated that four Estonian ministers were to meet the Dalai Lama. Sven Grünberg, director of the Estonian Institute of Buddhism had then made an open appeal to the Estonian government, urging the leaders of the former communist nation to make its decisions independent of China’s influence.

Following his arrival, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with members of the Institute of Buddhism, scholars, representatives of various non-governmental organisations, and members of the Estonian Parliament.

In his speech His Holiness remembered with warm words his first two visits to Estonia in 1991 and 2001.

“I love Estonia and the Estonian people for their courage and their bravery,” the Dalai Lama said referring to the Estonia’s long struggle for freedom and democracy from its authoritarian Communist rule.