Warsaw - The Dalai Lama received an honorary citizenship from the city of Warsaw on Wednesday after a unanimous vote from local councillors to honour the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

"I'm extremely happy ... to become a citizen of this famous city," the Dalai Lama told a crowd at the capital's Royal Castle. "I feel that I'm also very much moved."

Later, the Dalai Lama flew to Germany and met with the premier of the state of Hesse, Roland Koch, who has been a longtime supporter.

Koch said the spiritual leader enjoyed the greatest sympathy in his state for his peaceful fight for the freedom and identity of the Tibetan people. He praised the Dalai Lama's persistent efforts to save the culture, language and religion of his people.

The Dalai Lama is to remain in Hesse till Monday, addressing 30,000 supporters.

In attendance at the earlier ceremony in Warsaw were former Solidarity union leader Lech Walesa and Poland's first non-communist prime minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki.

The spiritual leader said that throughout Poland's hardships its people never lost spirit. He added that Poland played a key role in transformations in Europe after communism fell there in 1989.

"In spite of difficulties of the language barrier ... basically we are the same human being," the Dalai Lama said.

City officials praised the Dalai Lama for his "peaceful, intellectual fight."

"We are very proud that as of today the 14th Dalai Lama is going to be one of us," Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz said. "It's a great honour for us."

The councillors of Warsaw said that as leaders of a city tried by adversity, they had the "moral right and duty" to give respect to the Tibetan leader.

The Dalai Lama said though his generation had seen "great suffering," it was logical for humans to "explore positive potential" and it was their nature to show compassion.

Walesa told the Tibetan leader that "nations of the same tragic past are more in solidarity," and pointed at links between Tibet's struggle and Poland's battle against the communist regime.

"Our two nations are striving for the same goal," Walesa said at the ceremony. "We did it earlier, but in the same spirit and enjoying the same support ... I thought our country would be free one day and similar events will take place in Tibet.

"I would like this dream to come true as soon as possible, because I realize I am getting old," Walesa joked. "So let us hurry up."

The Dalai Lama's three-day visit to Poland included a visit Tuesday to the Warsaw Uprising Museum, where he praised Poles' fight against the Nazi occupation during World War II.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of wanting an independent Tibet, but the leader says he wants autonomy for the region.

The spiritual leader was in Poland last December. Polish President Lech Kaczynski met with him at that time and sparked a backlash when China warned Warsaw about creating impediments to bilateral relations.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after an abortive uprising against China in 1959, and set up a Tibetan government-in-exile in India.(dpa)