The President of the Government met with the Committee on General Policy of the Legislative Assembly at a meeting where Vasco Cordeiro informed its members on the progress of Lajes Air Base process in its various components, namely with regard to environmental issues.
 
Vasco Cordeiro spoke at the end of the meeting, stressing that this issue has been addressed to the Presidents of the Republic since 2012. He also highlighted the importance of a strong and united position of the Azores, similar to what happened in the labour component, which "does not mean unanimity".
 
"I have full confidence that each of the political parties represented at the Parliament, similarly to what has been done regarding the labour component, will also be able to interpret the regional interest in this matter as best as possible," said the President of the Government.
 
Vasco Cordeiro stressed that today's meeting, held at his invitation, "was also intended to make the members of the Committee better acquainted with the results of the Bilateral Commission meeting that took place in Washington on May 11 as well as to provide a more comprehensive picture of this process."
 
In this regard, he stressed that there were several components under analysis, such as the achievements in the labour area, with special emphasis on terminations by mutual agreement without outright dismissal of Portuguese workers.
 
The meeting also assessed what has already been done and what we want to continue doing in the environmental component as well as what remains to be done with the infrastructure component. As for the latter, it will also find alternative uses that may contribute to wealth generation and employment creation on Terceira Island and in the Region," said the government official.
 
Speaking to journalists, the President of the Government also reiterated the need to retake the tool provided for in the Agreement on Cooperation and Defence between Portugal and the United States, which provides for consultations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Administration Secretary of State.
 
"As for the environmental issue, this is a good way to point out the importance of doing more and more quickly," defended Vasco Cordeiro.
 
Today's meeting was the third that the President of the Government held with the members of the Committee on General Policy to specifically discuss the Lajes Air Base process, after the meetings held in January 2016 and May 2014.