The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for Foreign Affairs stated in Ponta Delgada that the Government of the Azores intends to create conditions to bring new programmes to the Region and new opportunities for EU funding.
 
"This may have a considerable impact," said Rui Bettencourt. The government official spoke at the opening of the session for the dissemination of the "Creative Europe" programme. According to him, this is "a first step towards the openness to various Community-funded programmes available at national level that we would like to bring to the Region.”
 
"With this first programme, this openness brings us some opportunities, some hope of funding and the possibility of establishing new partnerships. However, it also brings us some difficulties because this is going to require hard work," the government official said, stressing that "implementing projects under "Creative Europe" or other Community programmes usually requires hard work. They are opportunities, but also require a lot from each one of us."
 
"We will share this work and there are no reasons to fear," said the Regional Secretary. The Government of the Azores is available to establish partnerships and provide assistance in bureaucratic issues related to applications and projects.
 
Rui Bettencourt stressed that "the Government will do its part in this work of sharing and the operators wishing to enter this adventure will also do their part; we will be partners in this endeavour."
 
"All efforts to assemble projects will be undertaken with regional aid. We have learned from other programmes that the main difficulties that hinder us are the difficulties of finding partners, implementing projects, defining the language of projects, finding technical experts to fill forms adequately and implementing projects," said the Regional Secretary.
 
"There are many difficulties, but all this should not frighten us. We must not fear that," added the government official.
 
For Rui Bettencourt, this is "something new, but very exciting." The government official added that it is possible to implement "very interesting projects" in the Azores. The Regional Secretary stated that the Region is "a place of creative effervescence, where there are ideas and people who like to create," highlighting the fact that there are already some interested partied with project ideas.
 
The Regional Secretary also stressed the importance of the partnership with the Creative Europe Information Centre. For three days, it will be in the Azores to explain how this programme supports the cultural and creative sectors.
 
The dissemination session will take place on Terceira Island Wednesday, March 8, and on Faial Island on the following day.