Azoreans in Brussels mobilise towards defence of the Region's interests, says Rui Bettencourt
The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations defended in Brussels the mobilisation and contribution of the Azoreans residing in the Belgian capital towards the defence of the Azores' interests in the European Union.
"What is at stake is the affirmation of the Azores, especially at a very particular moment in the construction of the European Union, in this new institutional cycle when a new European Commission and a new European Parliament are beginning their term," said Rui Bettencourt.
"The Azores would like to see the mobilisation of these Azoreans towards the same goal, so that the Azores could assert themselves in Brussels at Community institutions and that they could prepare the next financial framework in this institutional cycle that now begins with some peace of mind," added the government official.
In this new cycle that now begins, there should be “a more intense and closer relation between the Azores, the Azoreans, the Region, namely through its Government, and, of course, all those residing in Brussels who are the ambassadors of the Azores in Belgium," said the Regional Secretary.
Rui Bettencourt met in the Belgian capital with a group of Azoreans involved in various Community institutions, such as the European Commission, the Permanent Portuguese Representation in Brussels, the European Parliament or the Representation Office of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Brussels.
“I had the pleasure of exchanging views with these Azoreans who explained what they did on a daily basis,” the Regional Secretary said, stressing that he also had the opportunity to talk about “what is happening with the relations between the Azores and the European Union, which is at stake right now.”
“In all these Azoreans, whom we see with great pride, I found very competent Azoreans that are deeply committed and mobilised towards the defence of the Azores," stressed the government official.