His Holiness the Dalai Lama Congratulates the Two Korean Leaders

Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India – His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written separately to the North Korean and South Korean leaders to congratulate them on the pledge they made following recent talks to work to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons and turn the armistice that ended the Korean War into a peace treaty this year.

“As an avowed campaigner for demilitarization throughout the world and the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons,” he wrote, “I wholeheartedly welcome the outcome of your discussions to secure lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.

“Seeing the immense suffering caused by war and violence in so many different parts of the world is deeply distressing. What [you] have shown is that taking a genuinely peaceful approach and entering into dialogue is the only way to achieve friendship, trust and peace.

“I profoundly hope these positive developments will contribute to concerted efforts to do away with these dreadful weapons everywhere and secure genuine and enduring peace in our world.

“I am confident the international community solidly supports the positive steps that [you] have taken.”