OFFICE OF THE LORD MAYOR OF THE CAPITAL PRAGUE

Foreign Relations and Protocol Department

Marianske nam. 2, Praha 1, tel.: 0042/2/24482541, fax: 0042/2/24811588

Mr. Olivier Dupuis

General Secretary

of the Transnational Radical Party

and Member of European Parliament

January the 14th, 1997

Dear Sir,

on behalf of the Lord Mayor of the capital Prague, Mr. Jan Koukal, I would like to thank You for the letter from the December the 12th, 1996, in which You informed us about opening the "Flag for Tibet" Campaign for the year 1997.

Mr. Lord Mayor personally deeply esteems all the activities intent on help for Tibetan people and supports the fight for defence of human rights in all the countries where it is so difficult to assert the rules of democracy and humanity. However, the Municipal Authority of the capital Prague in its foreign policy has to follow the general political line of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which still considers Tibet to be the part of People s Republic of China. We find the human rights violations as a problem which concerns the whole China.

I wish You success in Your work for the people of Tibet and prosperity for Your flag campaign. With the best wishes for the year 1997 I send You my regards

Lenka SEIFTEROVA

Chief of the Foreign Relations and Protocol Department