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Condoleezza Rice (L) speaks wtih Saudi King Abudllah in 2007. Rice received a set of diamond and ruby jewelry from the Saudi King valued at 165,000 dollars, according to a list of official gifts released this week by the US State Department.
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Protocol may put George W. Bush at the top of the US government, but when foreign leaders lavished gifts on members of his administration, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice drew most of the attention.
The elegant chief diplomat notably received a set of diamond and ruby jewelry from Saudi King Abdullah valued at 165,000 dollars, according to a list of official gifts released this week by the US State Department.
Jordan's King Abdullah II gave Rice a diamond and emerald set of jewelry, including a necklace, bracelet, earings and a ring, worth 147,000 dollars, said the report which covered presents received by US officials in 2007.
Bush's wife Laura, for her part, also received a set of diamond and saphire jewelry from the Saudi monarch, but hers was worth just half that given to Rice -- 85,000 dollars.
Some of the gifts received by President Bush reflected his stated penchant for simple pleasures like cross-country biking and cutting brush on his Texas ranch.
In that vein, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrick Reinfeldt honored the US leader with a made-in-Sweden power saw equipped "with comfort grip handles".
All the official gifts remain public property, since US law forbids administration officials from accepting presents from foreign governments.
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(Agencies)
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盡管從理論上說布什應該是美國政府最重要的人物，但若論收到的外國首腦饋贈的禮品，他可不及國務卿康多莉扎?賴斯。
據美國國務院本周公布的官方收禮清單顯示，美國優雅的第一外交官賴斯去年獲贈沙特國王阿卜杜拉送的一套價值16.5萬美元的鉆石和紅寶石首飾。
根據這份2007年度收禮清單，去年約旦國王阿卜杜拉二世送給賴斯一套價值14.7萬美元的鉆石和祖母綠首飾，其中包括一條項鏈、一個手鐲、一對耳環和一枚戒指。
去年沙特國王還送給第一夫人勞拉一套鉆石和藍寶石首飾，價值8.5萬美元，僅為賴斯那套的一半。
布什總統收到的一些禮物則反映出他的一些小愛好，比如越野自行車、在得克薩斯的農場割草。
瑞典首相弗雷德里克?賴因費爾特投其所好，送給布什一套本國制造的“有著舒適把柄”的割草機。
美國法律規定，政府官員不得收受外國政府饋贈的禮品，因此所有這些禮品都是公共財產。
（實習生許雅寧 英語點津姍姍編輯）
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