Vasco Cordeiro defends partnership with Communities to strengthen economic relations with the USA
The President of the Government defended Tuesday an evolution in the relation between the Azores and the United States of America towards the establishment of an increasingly important economic level, a goal that must be achieved in partnership with the Azorean communities residing in this country.
"The data on tourism growth and the figures on US investment in the Azores prove it is possible to further strengthen our centuries-old relation with the United States of America, namely with the states where the Azorean presence is stronger. The aim is to establish an increasingly important economic level, despite the enormous challenges we still have to overcome in this area," said Vasco Cordeiro.
At a meeting with the Hilmar community in a context of this official visit to California, the President of the Government said the Government is also aware that the consolidation and evolution of this relation can only be achieved in partnership with Azorean Communities and their institutions. According to him, they "are naturally the best promoters of the Azores" in their areas of influence.
In recent years, the economic revitalisation of the Region, a climate of stability and the creation of an attractive system of private incentives have led to an increase in US investment, not only from Azoreans residing in the USA but also from US investors.
"As for tourism, the Region registered an increase of almost 164% in the number of guests and more than 180% in overnight stays between 2014 and 2017," said Vasco Cordeiro. In this regard, he recalled that the US market is one of the nine markets defined under the Strategic and Marketing Plan for the Azores Tourism, being the second foreign market with the highest number of visitors to the archipelago in 2017.
In the area of investment, there are currently 16 US-funded projects in the Region under development.
Eight of these projects are already underway, representing an estimated investment of nearly two million Euros, while the remaining eight, still at an early stage, will provide for a global investment over five million Euros, stressed the President of the Government.
"We are talking about US-funded investments in the Azores that are primarily focused on tourism, but also cover other areas such as aquaculture and information and communication technologies," said the President of the Government.
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro emphasised that being an Azorean in America, while also being American, demonstrates the "enormous integration capacity of Azorean Communities into their host societies, which strengthens the image of the Azores and invigorates the Azorean spirit."
"If there is a challenge to be launched to younger generations, it is not the challenge of being more Azorean but the challenge of being good Americans as, by being good Americans, they will be making an invaluable contribution to the projection of the Azores and the promotion of our Region. They will make the word Azorean synonymous with good citizens," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.