Prague - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek met with the Dalai Lama amid tensions between China and the European Union over French President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to meet the exiled Tibet's spiritual leader during his Europe tour. Topolanek's spokesman Jakub Stadler confirmed that an hour-long "private meeting" took place Sunday at the premier's official residency, the Kramar Villa.
China strongly opposes the Dalai Lama's meetings with foreign heads of state and government.
The meeting in Prague took place days after Beijing called off Monday's China-EU summit in France over Sarkozy's plans to meet the Tibetan leader in Poland next Saturday.
France chairs the EU until January 1 when the Czech Republic takes over at the helm of the 27-member bloc for six months.
Speaking to reporters in Prague, the Dalai Lama called China's move "sad". He said that "despite disagreements, different views", it was "much better" to meet at top level.
When asked whether China's response was a sign of sharper foreign policy, he said the Chinese media described him as "a demon" and "wolf", jokingly adding: "Maybe now I have horns."
When asked whether he would call the world leaders who meet him "fearless", the Dalai Lama praised US President George W Bush as his friend "regardless (that) some of his policy is a disaster".
The Tibetan leader was also scheduled to address pro-Tibetan lawmakers in parliament and meet former Czech president Vaclav Havel, at whose invitation he is visiting Prague for four days.
Tibet's spiritual leader heads for Brussels on Tuesday and then to Gdansk, Poland, to attend a ceremony marking 25 years since Poland's anti-communist leader and former president Lech Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
