The Dalai Lama on Tuesday met with Wrocław City Council members, local officials, academics and artists. Representative Tenzin Kunga from the Office of Tibet London told VOA that the Mayor of Wroclaw in his welcome address praised the Dalai Lama’s continued leadership on promoting world peace and religious harmony. The Dalai Lama in turn said in his remarks that Poland with its history of living under and resisting communist repression, should continue following the path of leaders like Lech Walesa in making Poland a great democratic society.

Later in the day, speaking to young people at ‘Zajezdnia’ History Centre, located at the site of mass demonstrations in the 1980s, he urged Polish youth to also carry on the legacy of Solidarity movement leader Lech Walesa and those who fought against Communist repression. On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama will attend an inter-religious meeting at a Church of Peace.

The Dalai Lama’s previous visits to Wroclaw was in 2008 and 2010, when he was made an honorary citizen of the city. He last visited Poland in 2013 for a summit of Nobel Peace Prize winners in Warsaw.