For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 5, 2001
Greek Independence Day
A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2001 by the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
Our democratic system of government traces its
earliest roots back to ancient Greece. The leaders of the
Revolution and the Framers of the Constitution often drew inspiration
from Athenian lawgivers and philosophers and called the Greek example
to mind as they sought to build the new nation on the foundations of
representative government and free political discourse. The
Greeks of 1821 drew inspiration, in turn, from the ideals and
institutions of the fledgling United States as they waged their own
struggle for liberty. In 2001, a vibrant Greek democracy
serves once again as an inspiration to its neighbors and the world.
Our two countries have stood together as
friends and allies from the time America embraced modern Greece's
struggle for independence 180 years ago. We fought together
in every major war of the last century: World War I through
the Persian Gulf. For more than 50 years, we have worked
together in NATO: first to keep the peace in Europe and now
to build peace and stability in the Balkans. We look forward
to continued cooperation as we celebrate the Games of the XXVIII
Olympiad together in Athens in 2004. Our alliance with Greece remains
strong, and its future is promising.
Greeks and Americans share a love of freedom,
liberty, and individual rights. The friendship between our
two Nations is based on mutual respect, a commitment to common goals,
and the sharing of fundamental values. Ties of blood and
kinship also unite us: the modern community of approximately
3 million Greek Americans has established a natural and enduring bridge
between our nations. Today, we take special note of those
citizens and thank them for their innumerable contributions to our
Nation's cultural, economic, and political heritage.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President
of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby
proclaim March 25, 2001, as "Greek Independence Day: A
National Day of Celebration of Greek and American
Democracy." I call upon all the people of the United States
to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand
this
fifth
day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
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