The Dalai Lama is attending a unique gathering of Nobel laureates in Rome beginning on November 27, 2003, along with former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, former Polish President Lech Walesa, and former Costa Rica President Oscar Arias Sanchez.

The 4th World Summit Of Nobel Peace Laureates, being held in Rome from November 27 to 30, is organized by the Gorbachev Foundation to bring together all the distinguished people and organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The purpose of the Summits is to monitor on a regular basis the most important international emergencies, to provide viable solutions to them for the benefit of world governments and the international public opinion and to discuss strategies that can help the people of our planet to live peacefully together. The Summit hopes to elaborate projects and solutions so that heads of State, politicians and the international public opinion can formulate new ways for people to live together based on peace, tolerance, and respect for individual rights.

The Gorbachev Foundation, an organization of socio-economic and political studies, was founded in January 1992 by the former president of the Soviet Union.

Among other Nobel laureates attending the summit are Joseph Rotblat, Betty William, Jody Williams, Mairead Maguire, Rigoberta Menchu, John Hume, and Carlos Belo.

Announcing the 18th visit of the Dalai Lama to Italy, The Tibet Bureau in Geneva said on November 18, 2003 that he would also meet the Pope and members of the Italian Parliament.

“This visit to Italy is part of the continued efforts by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to promote human values and ethics, inter-religious harmony, and strengthen ties between the Italian and Tibetan peoples,” said Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama for South and Middle Europe and head of the Tibet Bureau in Geneva.

Following is the full text of the Tibet Bureau Press Release.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit Italy from November 25 to 28, 2003

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is visiting Italy from November 25 to 28 to participate in the 4th Summit of Nobel Laureates, meet His Holiness Pope John Paul II and to address members of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet. This is His Holiness’ 18th visit to Italy.

The 4th Summit of Nobel Laureates is being organized by the Gorbachev Foundation under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, the Senate of the Italian Republic and the City of Rome. The main theme of the 4th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is “Ethics in Politics and Economics”.

“This visit to Italy is part of the continued efforts by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to promote human values and ethics, inter-religious harmony, and strengthen ties between the Italian and Tibetan peoples,” said Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama for South and Middle Europe.

On 26 November, His Holiness will give a public talk on “The Path to Freedom” at the National Auditorium Hall, organised by the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet and the Italia-Tibet Association in cooperation with Amnesty International and other Tibet related organisations.

The Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet was established in May 2002 with a membership of 90 Parliamentarians representing all the major political parties in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

There will be a Meeting with the Press on Wednesday, 26 November at 11:00 hours (Hotel Exedra, Piazza della Repubblica 47, 00185 Rome).

From Italy, His Holiness returns to India on November 29, 2003.