Dharamshala: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama is expected to visit Russia as the country's Buddhist followers wish to see their spiritual leader, Russian Ambassador to India Mr. Alexander Kadakin said.
Russia has a good number of citizens following the faith of Buddhism and the people want to see their religious leader, Mr. Kadakin was quoted as saying by ANI.
There are Buddhists in Altai region, in the Altai mountains and they also want to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama, added the Ambassador.
There are some 700,000 followers of Buddhism in the Russian Federation, mostly in the eastern areas like Buryatia bordering on Mongolia and Republic of Kalmykia in South Russia.
Russia is ready to help settle the conflict between China and the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Lavrov said last month during a speech at the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament.
"If all the parties make attempts to separate clearly pastoral contacts from political associations, this would be a solution to the problem. We are ready to assist in this," Lavrov said.
The 74 year old Tibetan leader and Nobel peace prize literature, His Holiness the Dalai Lama last visited the Russian Republic of Kalmykia in November 2004.
Russia has been under Chinese pressure to allow the visits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to meet his Buddhist followers from Buddhism traditional religions including Kalmykia and Buryatia bordering on Mongolia.
