A bow to US-Greek ties
WASHINGTON (AP) – President George W. Bush thanked Greek Americans for their contributions to their country and the Greek military for its contributions to the Afghanistan war and international peacekeeping as he observed the 186th anniversary of Greece’s independence. St Nicholas Bush also congratulated his guest, Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, for his campaign to rebuild St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a victim of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on New York City. The church sat in the shadow of the World Trade Center towers and came down when they did. «Your vision is for a new St Nicholas to rise just a few steps from its original site,» Bush said. «And with your help, St Nicholas will once again be a sanctuary of faith in New York’s financial district, and a new center of reconciliation for visitors from all over the world.» Cultural enrichment He said the more than 1.2 million Greek Americans «have really enriched our culture and enriched our nation’s heritage. They’re a lively bunch, as you know, but an important group of people in our country, and that’s really what we celebrate here. We celebrate our friendship with the nation of Greece.» Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis was in the audience. Speaking to her, Bush said: «I appreciate the good work that we’re doing to lay the foundation of peace for generations to come. It is hard work, Madame Minister, but it is necessary work.»
