Parliamentarians from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania gathered in Riga on 3 June 2026 for a Tibet Conference hosted at the Latvian Saeima and organized by Juris Viļums, Member of the 14th Saeima and Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The conference brought together parliamentarians, civil society representatives and members of the international Tibet movement such as Richard Gere, Chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), and ICT President Tencho Gyatso. During the conference, participants adopted a Joint Tibet Declaration expressing solidarity with the Tibetan people and concern over China's new Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress.
In addition to the participants present in Riga, the conference received video and written messages of support from Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in North Europe, the Baltic states and Poland Tsering Yangkey, Member of the European Parliament Dainus Zalimas, Dutch parliamentarian Jan Paternotte, German parliamentarian Michael Brand, and Czech Parliamentarian. Their messages underscored the importance of stronger European coordination on Tibet, including support for the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Tibet.
Click here to read the full press release below.
Click here to read the statement by the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in North Europe, the Baltic states and Poland, Tsering Yangkey.
Click here to read the statement by MEP Dainius Žalimas, Chair of the European Parliament’s Tibet Friendship Group.
Click here to read the statement by MP Jitka Seitlová, Vice President of the Czech Senate.
Click here to read the statement by MP Michael Brand, Member of the German Bundestag and Chair of Tibet Group.
EU4TIBET is a campaign led jointly by the Tibet Interest Group of the European Parliament, the International Campaign for Tibet and the Office of Tibet Brussels, with the significant support of the International Tibet Network, Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan Communities in Europe.
