09/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian government has called on the Dalai Lama to cancel a long-planned visit to Brussels this week in response to pressure from Beijing, which opposes foreign trips by the exiled Tibetan leader, states an International Campaign for Tibet press release. The request to cancel the visit, which comes just days before the EU-China human rights dialogue on May 15-16 in Berlin, is linked to the upcoming visit of a Belgian trade delegation to China, the press release states. The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was due to have visited Brussels to take part at a meeting of Nobel Prize winners at the European Parliament (see related article below). In a press release on 9 May, the Belgian foreign minister said: “The Dalai Lama has been informed of China's objections. Other wishes have not been stated. The Dalai Lama himself decided not to make the trip to Belgium. He was, and remains, free to decide whether to travel to Belgium” (hb)