[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
[March 23, 2007]
[Pages 341-343]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at a Celebration of Greek Independence Day
March 23, 2007
The President. Your Eminence, thanks. It's great to have you back at the White
House. One of the joys about being the President is, you get to meet
some pretty interesting people. And I will tell Your Eminence, I value
our friendship. You're such a gentle soul, and it gives me great--it
soothes my spirit to be with you. I appreciate your prayers, and I
appreciate your leadership, and I am proud to join you in celebrating
the 186th anniversary of Greek independence. And we're glad you're here.
Thanks for coming.
As you can tell, there is going to be a series of orations, and then
you get to go have some refreshments. [Laughter] I appreciate the
leaders of the Greek American community who are here with us today. Our
country is home to 1.2 million Greek Americans--actually, more than
that. And, Your Eminence,
Greek Americans have really enriched our culture and enriched our
Nation's heritage. They're a lively bunch, as you know--[laughter]----
Archbishop Demetrios.
Absolutely.
The President. ----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.
And, Madam Foreign Minister, thanks for
coming. I talked to Condi about her
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discussions with you. We have a lot to do together, and I appreciate
your leadership.
I thank the Ambassador for joining
us today. Mr. Ambassador, thanks. Thanks for bringing
Francoise, wife. I appreciate the
Ambassador from--the Cypriot Ambassador
to the United States. Andreas, thank you for coming. Appreciate you
being here. Thank you for bringing your wife Kareen.
I want to thank Nick Burns for being
here, former Ambassador to Greece from the United States, now top
official at the State Department. One of my top advisers happens to be a
Greek American--Fran Townsend, Fran
Fragos Townsend--[laughter]--whose advice I listen to on a regular
basis, Your Eminence. Thank
you for serving.
I appreciate Members of Congress who have come. Thank you all for
taking time: Congressmen Carolyn Maloney from New York, Gus Bilirakis
from Florida, John Sarbanes from Maryland,
Zack Space from Ohio. I appreciate you all
coming. You're welcome to be here.
I want to thank Father Alex--wherever
you are--there he is. Father Alex, yes, trying to be as low profile as
possible. [Laughter] Appreciate you coming, and thanks for your
continued friendship.
I want to thank members of the United States military, Greek
Americans who wear the uniform of the United States. I thank you for
your service; I thank you for your dedication; I thank you for your
stalwart defense of freedom and peace.
As you mentioned, Your Eminence, in 1821, the people of Greece proclaimed their
independence, and they risked their lives to secure liberty. They knew
that their land had been the home of the first democratic society, the
first place in the world where people could choose their leaders, speak
their minds, and freely explore the arts and the sciences.
These Greek patriots also knew that freedom and democracy were more
than just a legacy, that they were their destiny. And they believed,
like I believe, that freedom is the hope of all mankind, not just a few
people, but of all mankind.
And when they made their stand for freedom and independence, they
found a lot of friends in this country: Americans who express their
support by contributing funds, and some who volunteer to serve in the
new Greek Army. Americans stood with Greece again after World War II,
when violent Communist insurgents threatened Greece's free Government.
As you mentioned, President Truman saw the danger, and he articulated a
new and bold doctrine for our country. In an address to the United
States Congress, he put it this way: ``It must be the policy of the
United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted
subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.''
Like democracy itself, the Truman Doctrine grew out of the
experience of the Greek people and affirmed the desire for freedom for
all people--not just a handful, not just some, but for all.
Today, Greece and the United States are allies in the cause of
freedom, Madam Minister, and I want you to
send thanks to your Government. In Afghanistan, a Greek engineering team
provides support to the International Security Assistance Force; a Greek
medical team provides emergency care to those who are wounded. And we
thank you very much.
In Lebanon, Greek naval units are part of a UNIFIL force supporting
the democratic Siniora Government. These Greek forces are serving with
courage; they're helping young democracies who struggle against the
forces of evil. And I appreciate your vision. I appreciate the good work
that we're doing to lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
It is hard work, Madam Minister, but it is
necessary work.
I appreciate the important help Greece has provided to Americans who
find themselves in danger overseas. Last summer, Greece was one of the
first nations to offer ships to help evacuate Americans who
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found themselves stranded in Lebanon following Hizballah's unprovoked
terrorist attacks on Israel. We called for your help, and you delivered,
and we appreciate that a lot. That's what friends do.
In January, the Greek Government responded quickly following a
grenade attack on our Embassy in Athens. And we appreciate the
determination of Greek authorities to bring those responsible for this
attack to justice. We're grateful for the many messages of sympathy and
support we've received after those attacks.
We also share with Greece important ties of faith, Your
Eminence. The Greek
Orthodox Church counts more than 1 million members in the United States,
and it plays a vital role in the spiritual life of our Nation. Your
Eminence, I thank you and congratulate you on 40 years of ministry as a
bishop. You're providing necessary and important leadership here in the
United States. You are a man of wisdom. You're a man of prayer. I
appreciated your thoughtful response to me and Laura after the September the 11th attacks. These were tough
times for our Nation, and your comforting call meant a lot to me.
I thank you for your determination to rebuild what was lost on that
terrible day. On 9/11, the terrorists who struck Manhattan brought down
not only magnificent skyscrapers but a humble house of worship. Before
those attacks, St. Nicholas Church stood just south of the second tower
of the World Trade Center. Your vision is for a new St. Nicholas to rise
just a few steps from its original site. 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.
I thank you very much, Your Eminence, for gracing this house. This is the people's house.
This belongs to everybody who's an American. I thank you for your vision
of peace. I thank you for your spirituality. And I thank you for joining
me as we celebrate Greek Independence Day.
May God bless you all.
Note: The President spoke at 3:10 p.m. in the East Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of
the Greek Orthodox Church in America; Minister of Foreign Affairs Dora
Bakoyannis of Greece; Greece's Ambassador to the U.S. Alexandros P.
Mallias; Cyprus's Ambassador to the U.S. Andreas S. Kakouris; Reverend
Father Alex Karloutsos, assistant to the Archbishop for public affairs;
and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon. The proclamation of March 21
on Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and
American Democracy, 2007, is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
volume.