Mrs. Laura Bush smiles during her visit Friday, April 4, 2008, to Stavropoleos Church in Bucharest, Romania. The church, built in 1724, is an artistic monument displaying a well-balanced blend of Byzantine-oriental and Western-baroque elements. White House photo by Shealah Craighead.

Embassy Press Release

Mrs. Bush's Remarks After a Visit to Stavropoleos Church

For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
April 4, 2008

Stavropoleos Church
Bucharest, Romania

9:44 A.M. (Local)

MRS. BUSH: Just give me a chance to thank everyone here. We've been in Romania. We've really thanked President Basescu and Maria Basescu for being such wonderful hosts for President Bush and me, and for NATO. I think they've had a very successful NATO meeting, and the spouses of all the leaders had a very good time too. We're going to go off to one more event and get to see the Romanian gymnasts, which I think will be a lot of fun.

But I especially want to take this opportunity to thank the Fathers and the Sisters who are here at this beautiful church. Thank you for saving all of these magnificent items of Christianity for all of us who are Christians to be able to venerate.

* * * * *

Mrs. Laura Bush listens Friday, April 4, 2008, as Dr. Petre Radu Guran explains the finer details of the Stavropoleos Church in Bucharest. Dr. Guran, an expert in Byzantine Culture and Society, is a senior researcher at the Institute for South-East European Studies at the Romanian Academy of Sciences. White House photo by Shealah Craighead.

Thank you all, thanks so much, and thanks to everyone in Romania for putting up with the closed streets and all the other things they had to put up while all the leaders were here. Thank you for your hospitality.

END 9:45 A.M. (Local)

Related info: • Ambasadorul SUA doneaza bani pentru restaurarea Bisericii Stavropoleos (Source: GOV.ro)
• Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation: The National Museum of Art in Cluj-Napoca
• Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation: The National Village Museum "Dimitrie Gusti"

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