President Trump offered his condolences to Emmanuel Macron of France along with U.S. assistance in rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral a day after it was devastated by fire, the White House said on Tuesday.
“Notre Dame will continue to serve as a symbol of France, including its freedom of religion and democracy,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “We remember with grateful hearts the tolling of Notre Dame’s bells on September 12, 2001, in solemn recognition of the tragic September 11th attacks on American soil. Those bells will sound again.”
Macron has promised to rebuild the cathedral, considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture.
More than 700 million euros had been promised by donors within hours of the blaze.
Sanders added that the U.S. stood in solidarity with the millions of people who had visited the cathedral.
“We stand with France today and offer our assistance in the rehabilitation of this irreplaceable symbol of Western civilization,” she said.
[Opinion: The US should pay 17.83% of Notre Dame’s reconstruction costs]
