Rep. Malliotakis meets Dalai Lama to discuss the Resolve Tibet Act

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) met with Dalai Lama this week at his residence in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India, while traveling on a bipartisan congressional delegation.

During the visit, Malliotakis provided the Dalai Lama with gifts, including a framed photograph and an assortment of teas from Staten Island’s Tibetan museum, The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, which he previously visited in 1991.

“We share many similarities and I have a lot of compassion and empathy for the people who are here today who want to return to their homeland, who want to visit and have their children and grandchildren who have never visited Tibet the opportunity to do so,” stated Malliotakis to the Tibetan community on a bipartisan congressional delegation in India.

“It was an incredible honor to meet with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama to discuss the Resolve Tibet Act recently passed by both the House and Senate and awaiting President Biden’s signature that would enact an official change in U.S. policy toward Tibet, promote human rights, self-determination and democracy for the Tibetan people and combat Communist China’s misinformation about Tibet’s history,” said Malliotakis.

“New York City is home to the largest Tibetan population outside of Asia and I’ve been proud to work with the Tibetan community and a bipartisan group in speaking out against China’s human rights abuses and illegal occupation of Tibet, and it’s my hope that our advocacy brings the Tibetan people one step closer to being able to peacefully return to their homeland and determine their future,” added Malliotakis.

While in India, the delegation also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and the US-India Business Council to discuss issues of trade, national security, and increasing the strategic partnership between the two nations to reduce both nations’ supply chain dependency on Communist China.

Watch Malliotakis’ remarks to the Tibetan Community here.