Buddhist leaders in Lanka had asked the government to grant a visa to Dalai Lama but the Foreign Ministry had vetoed it after pressure from the Chinese embassy here, the Daily Mirror said. The newspaper quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella as saying that Lanka wanted to maintain good relations with China and had no intention of allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Colombo in the near future. Buddhist leaders have gone on record saying Lanka was the only Buddhist nation which has prevented a visit by the Dalai Lama.