The President of the Government, who is integrated in Portuguese delegation led by Prime Minister José Socrates, will meet the President of the United States of America on Friday in the context of Barack Obama’s visit to Lisbon to attend North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Summit (NATO) Summit.
Since 1941, the Azores have a Portuguese air base, BA4, located on the island of Terceira. During World War II, it began to be used by the U.S. Air Force which has kept, since 1943, a regiment that has played an important role during international crises, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967, the Gulf War in 1990 or the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
On the other hand, the Azores the Azores have signed cooperation agreements with the U.S. states of Massachusetts, California and Rhode Island where the number of Azoreans and their descents residing in these states is higher than those living in the archipelago. These agreements aim to increase trade, cooperation between health, educational and cultural institutions as well as to boost mutual investment and set up joint ventures in emerging sectors such high-end technology, environmental technology, renewable energies, energy conservation, recycling, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, climate monitoring and tourism promotion.
The relation between Portugal and the United States, in which the Azores play a leading role – either by the presence of a USAF regiment at the Lajes Air Base or by the numerous emigrant communities residing in Fall River, New Bedford, San Francisco, San José and many other cities - will be under discussion at the S. Bento Palace.