The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations defended in Ponta Delgada the need to "coordinate strategies in a cohesive and concerted manner" to defend the interests of the Azores and the outermost status of the archipelago in Brussels.

 Rui Bettencourt highlighted the importance of ensuring an "internal coordination within the Region" so that we may establish a common framework with the European Commission. This strategy will be complemented with external coordination with other partners of Outermost Regions (ORs). It should be reflected on the Memorandum to be submitted to this EU body.

 "It would be interesting to speak with several voices in Brussels, which would strengthen the legitimacy of Azorean strategy" said Rui Bettencourt. He spoke at the end of a preparatory meeting for the participation of the Azorean delegation in the 4th Forum of Outermost regions, which takes place in the Belgian capital on March 30 and 31.

 The Regional Secretary stressed that "these voices are the voices of the economic world, the social world, social partners, unions, companies, the University of the Azores and the Azorean Government."

 "We have discussed what will be in the Memorandum, namely what we have together with other regions and what is specific to us. Moreover, we will also include the strategies for the post 2020 period, i.e., what we want that the European Commission takes into account when developing programmes for this period," said the government official.

 Topics such as the sea, agriculture, fisheries, transport or vocational training, linked to economic and social development of the Azores and other ORs, "are important to us, especially due to our weaknesses for being an outermost region. We should discuss these issues in detail with scientific backing, when necessary, and political argument," said the government official.

 The Secretary for External Relations recalled that "Outermost Regions have a special status within the EU," adding that it comprises regions like the Azores, "with some weaknesses but also with some potential."

 "We must say what our weaknesses are and what we expect of the European Union for us," said the Regional Secretary.

 "At the moment when Europe is being rethought and when there are doubts, it is the time for us to assert ourselves with firmness, it is time to defend outermost regions and it is time to say the world is changing and there are new centres," defended Rui Bettencourt. He added that "the Azores are an OR with regard to the EU, but a central region in the North Atlantic."
 
In this context, he mentioned the importance of "saying the world has changed; however, the fragility of outermost regions remains. Hence, it is necessary that policies, especially those that will emerge post 2020, take into consideration these weaknesses, through the creation of specific tools, self-funding and the extension of programmes to outermost regions, with some adjustments."

 This year's edition of the Forum of Outermost Regions will be held under the theme "Outermost Regions, European Lands in the World: Towards a renewed strategy" is an important platform for dialogue. It illustrates the specific partnership that these nine regions (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Martin, the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands) and their three Member States (France, Portugal and Spain) have with the Commission and other EU institutions.