Obama aides meet the Dalai Lama

Three senior aides of US President Barack Obama met The Dalai Lama ahead of his scheduled visit to the United States next month.

Valerie Jarrett, born in Shiraz, Iran. Senior Adviser to the President and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison, is leading the delegation. ( Valarie Jarrett shown in the Image when her enters the Dalai Lama's residence )

María Otero, born in La Paz, Bolivia. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Special Coordinator for Tibetan affairs designate in the US State Department, and Michael Strautmanis, Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison, are the other two members of the delegation.

The delegation are the highest-level officials to travel to Dharamashala since March 2008, when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met the Dalai Lama here following a wave of unrest in Tibet.

The Nobel laureate, who visited the United States in May, is scheduled to return to the US next month, when he hopes to meet Obama.

China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist and has stepped up pressure on world leaders including Obama not to meet him.

Every US president has met the Dalai Lama since the President George H. W. Bush in 1991, each time triggering strong condemnation from China.

Obama, who has called for a broader relationship between the United States and China. Obama is scheduled to make his first presidential visit to Beijing in November.