LETTER TO LAURA BUSH FROM THERESE REIN, SPOUSE OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 000518 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OVIP BUSH LAURA OVIP REIN THERESE OPDC OPRC AS SUBJECT: LETTER TO LAURA BUSH FROM THERESE REIN, SPOUSE OF AUSTRALIAN PM KEVIN RUDD ¶1. (U) On May 15, Embassy received a letter from Ms. Therese Rein, spouse of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to First Lady Laura Bush, dated May 5, under cover of a transmittal letter from the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. Post is pouching both letters to the State Department to pass to the White House under registry number 9701085, departing post May 23, 2008. ¶2. (U) Text of the letter from Therese Rein to Laura Bush, dated May 5, follows: Begin text: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER CANBERRA Mrs Laura Bush First Lady of the United States of America The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20500 5 May 2008 Dear Mrs Bush: (Laura) It was a great pleasure meeting you during our recent visit to Washington. Both Kevin and I were deeply appreciative of the warm hospitality extended to us by the President and yourself, particularly during our delightful stay at Blair House which will evoke such fine memories for a long time to come. I thoroughly enjoyed our morning tea together and hope to see you again in the near future. On another matter, you may be interested to know that this week I am to launch in Sydney the Indigenous Literacy Project. I have agreed to become patron of this organisation which is a partnership between the publishing and bookselling industry and one of our leading NGOs working with indigenous people here in Australia. The aim is to promote reading to children and increase literacy levels in Aboriginal communities. I am also encouraging the project to publish about indigenous experiences so that these materials can find their way into the hands of non indigenous children. Once again, thank you for your kindness during our stay in Washington DC. Yours sincerely /s/ Therese Rein End text. ¶3. (U) Text of the cover letter from Peter Stephens, dated May 13, 2008, follows: Begin text: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER CANBERRA His Excellency Mr Robert McCallum Jr Ambassador Embassy or the United States of America 1 Moonah Place Yarralumla ACT 2600 Your Excellency I would be grateful if you could pass, through diplomatic channe1s, this personal letter from Ms Therese Rein, wife of the Prime Minister to the First Lady, Mrs Laura Bush. Yours sincerely /s/ Peter Stephens Private Secretary 13 May 2008 End text. CANBERRA 00000518 002 OF 002 STETTENBAUER