PRESS BRIEFING EXCERPT: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN RICHARD BOUCHER ON INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BUSH

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher held a regular press briefing January 10. In response to a question about the attendance of heads of state and other foreign dignitaries at the inauguration of President-elect Bush Boucher said the following:
“The standard practice -- and this has been followed in the past -- is that foreign delegations have not been invited to Washington for the occasion. Delegations have not been invited this time. It is the longstanding United States Government practice that foreign Ambassadors accredited to the United States represent their chiefs of state and governments at the inaugural events, and that is the guidance that has been issued again this time to diplomats here, as well as to all our embassies overseas.”

Information on the U.S. presidential inaugural events is available on the web sites: http://inaugural.senate.gov and http://www.presidential-inaugural.com .