Johannesburg - The Dalai Lama feels snubbed by the refusal by South Africa to grant him a visa for last Friday's planned peace conference, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said.

The Dalai Lama expressed his regret about the denial in a letter to the archbishop, Tutu told the Saturday Star newspaper.

In the letter the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists said the decision of the South African government to deny him a visa for the 2010 World Cup peace event was a "new manifestation of one of the most fundamental challenges now to world peace: A shortage of understanding and mutual respect."

The Dalai Lama went on to say that global leaders had a responsibility to ensure that principles triumphed over the love of money and power.

Friday's conference, which local Nobel peace laureates Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu and former president FW de Klerk were patronizing, was called off after they, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee, boycotted the meeting in protest over the Dalai Lama ban. Former president Nelson Mandela had also been linked to the event.

A government spokesman later admitted Africa's biggest economy had felt compelled to choose between the Dalai Lama and its ties with the Asian giant.

China is one of South Africa's biggest trading and investment partners. (dpa)