Bush thanks Lee for hospitality in farewell phone call

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- Outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush Monday
called South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and a number of other world leaders
to thank them for their cooperation during the past eight years, the White House
said.
"President Bush expressed his gratitude for the kind hospitality all these
leaders showed him and Mrs. Bush over the years and told them how much he enjoyed
working with them during his two terms," Gordon Johndroe, National Security
Council spokesman, said in a statement.
"In all the calls, the leaders thanked President Bush for his work and for the
spirit of cooperation and friendship developed in the last 8 years," Johndroe
said.
Among other leaders to whom Bush placed phone calls just one day before he leaves
office were French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the spokesman said.
Bush returns to his Crawford ranch on Tuesday afternoon after attending an
inauguration of incoming U.S. President Barack Obama, winding up his eight years
here as the 43rd U.S. president.
In Seoul, officials of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said that Bush
placed a phone call to Lee Monday night (Seoul time) to converse for about 10
minutes.
Bush was quoted as saying that he was very glad that he produced results in many
areas in close cooperation with Lee to develop relations between South Korea and
the U.S.
Lee, for his part, invited Bush to visit Seoul after his retirement, an official
said.
The South Korean president also thanked Bush for "the special interest and
passion President Bush has shown in the development of the relationship between
South Korea and the U.S. in the past year."
hdh@yna.co.kr
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