Bush bids farewell to world leaders

WASHINGTON - With just one full day left in office, US President George W. Bush spent Monday holding farewell telephone calls with more than a dozen world leaders, the White House said.

Bush spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, French President Angela Merkel, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and South Korea President Lee Myung-bak.

He also spoke with former Mexican president Vicente Fox. The current president Felipe Calderon met with Bush last week at the White House.

Bush expressed his gratitude for the hospitality the leaders showed during his eight years in office, said Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman.