In a short statement for the press at the airport, the Dalai Lama said that he would spend most of his time in Maribor talking about the problems faced by humanity.

Most of the problems the people have brought on themselves and it is logical that they can also solve them themselves, the Dalai Lama said. But most importantly, despite all the problems, one must never lose hope, he underlined.

Tomorrow, the Dalai Lama will take part in an international conference dubbed "Out of the Box" dedicated to innovative approaches to improving the culture of living and hold a talk on preserving spiritual peace.

On Thursday, he will take part in "Maribor for Peace - Nobel Peace Prize Laureates", to discuss with other Nobel Peace Prize laureates - Guatemalan human rights activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Bangladeshi economy expert Muhammad Yunus and Slovenian environmentalist Lučka Kajfež Bogataj - the significance of dialogue and solidarity in a time of a general crisis.

The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He had previously visited Maribor in 2010 and Ljubljana in 2002.