Representative Rigzin Genkhang Joins European Buddhist Union Leadership at 2026 AGM

May 12, 2026

(From L to R) Dr Nicola Censini, European Parliament, Stefano Bettera, President EBU, Representative Rigzin Genkhang & Carlo Luyckx, Vice-President EBU & President Belgium Buddhist Union

Brussels, 11 May 2026: On 9 May, Rigzin Genkhang, the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration at the Office of Tibet Brussels, attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the European Buddhist Union (EBU) held in the townhall of Saint-Gilles in Brussels.

Representative Genkhang attended the AGM at the special invitation of Stefano Bettera, President of the EBU, and Carlo Luyckx, EBU Vice-President and President of the Buddhist Union of Belgium.

The EBU AGM 2026 featured a prominent lineup of speakers who collectively addressed the theme of religious freedom and the protection of spiritual traditions in Europe. Alongside Representative Genkhang, the assembly heard from Jean Spinette, Mayor of Saint-Gilles, Nicola Censini, European Parliament’s Coordinator of Article 17, and Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, who addressed the participants through a video message. She congratulated the EBU on its 50th anniversary and praised the EBU’s long-standing contribution to the European religious landscape and reaffirming the Parliament’s commitment to a transparent and regular dialogue with non-confessional and religious organisations.

Addressing the assembly during the conference session titled “Respect for the Religious Rights of Buddhists in Europe,” Representative Genkhang issued a call for global solidarity with Tibetan Buddhists. She briefed delegates on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intensifying efforts to control the succession of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, including the recently enacted “Ethnic Unity Law”.

“The selection of religious leaders is a purely spiritual matter that must remain free from state coercion,” a position recently reaffirmed by a European Parliament resolution condemning Beijing’s “Ethnic Unity Law” Genkhang noted.

The EBU continues to urge the international community to refuse recognition of any religious leader appointed by the PRC, advocating instead for the resumption of direct dialogue to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict.

The AGM brought together Buddhist representatives from across the continent to discuss the protection of religious rights.