Dharamsala, May 10 : Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, wrote to Pope Leo XIV, extending his warmest greetings to him on his election to leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

"I am very happy to have met several of your predecessors and enjoyed friendly conversations with them," he wrote.

"Over more than four decades, I have also participated in meaningful exchanges with representatives of different religious traditions, my Christian brothers and sisters among them."

"With a firm belief in the oneness of humanity, I consider promoting inter-religious harmony to be one of the principal commitments of my own life. Indeed, I was very moved to have taken part in the major inter-faith meeting organised by Pope John Paul II in Assisi in 1986."

"In a period when the world is witnessing so many challenges, your election brings new hope not just to the Catholic community, but to people everywhere who are seeking a happier life in a more compassionate, peaceful world."

The Dalai Lama concluded his letter with his prayers and good wishes.

The Dalai Lama has met the heads of the Vatican over the decades; he first met Pope Paul VI in 1973.

He went on to meet Pope John Paul II on multiple occasions, with at least five meetings taking place between 1980 and 1990.

The Buddhist leader also met Pope Benedict XVI (2005'2013) in a "low key meeting" in October 2006 with the Vatican cautious of its interaction with the Dalai Lama against China's ire.

His successor Pope Francis never met the Dalai Lama, despite the latter expressing desire to meet him during a 2014 visit to Rome.

The Vatican said that a private meeting could not take place due to the "delicate situation" with China, despite the two leaders sharing common values on compassion, peace, and environmental stewardship.

/IANS