Tokyo  - It is "highly important" to see a dialogue with China and Tibet's spiritual leader said visiting EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner in Tokyo Thursday.

Ferrero-Waldner also expressed support for peaceful reconciliation between China and the Dalai Lama ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August at a press conference in Tokyo ahead of an EU-China ministerial meeting Friday in Beijing.

The Tibet issue would be "very high on the agenda" in Beijing she said during her three-day visit in Tokyo for the annual Japan-EU summit.

"We understand the sensitivities on sovereignty in China, but I think it is also fair to ask for the respect of the Tibetan culture and also their traditions," Kyodo News Agency quoted her as saying.

A few European leaders have expressed their intention to boycott or consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympics Games due to the Chinese crackdown on Tibet. (dpa)