The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, said today that the audience granted to the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, raised "high expectations" for the Regional Government, which he hopes they become a reality for the benefit of the Region's development.

"The Regional Government has high expectations regarding a series of aspects. What we expect is the confirmation of the contribution that Europe can provide to the Azores so that the Region may increasingly leverage the potential of the sea. We expect it to be, at least, at the same level of the Azores' potential for the European Union in the Atlantic area," Vasco Cordeiro stated, speaking to journalists at the end of the audience at Sant'Ana Palace in Ponta Delgada.

In this context, the President of the Government stressed that the Azores "fit into the concerns and goals" defined in the European Strategy for the Atlantic Region. The government official also emphasised that some these goals "confirm what the Azores have long defended and considered essential, particularly in what concerns the approach to biologically sensitive areas and the promotion of sustainability in resource exploitation.

For Vasco Cordeiro, the position defended by the Azores at the European Union in this area is grounded in "a long tradition of policies the Region has been implementing in the area of resource of exploitation throughout 30 years of Autonomy."

"Therefore, today we dare to think that we have the legitimacy to continue insisting on aspects we consider fundamental such as the issue of 100 and 200 miles, our position in the European Union and the way how meet the goals set by EU policies," stated the President of the Government.

In a wider view of maritime affairs, Vasco Cordeiro restated that the Azores' position in the Atlantic area "has a huge potential that the European Union" should exploit in areas such as maritime space surveillance or prevention of catastrophes and accidents.

"Our position in the North Atlantic is clearly an asset to the European Union and, hence, it must be also an asset to the Region's development," the President of the Government defended, conveying his belief that these expectations "may benefit the Europe located in this territory."

With regard to the 200-mile issue, Vasco Cordeiro stressed that "the Government of the Azores has never stopped defending the 200 miles." Despite the developments in recent years, which were unfavourable, and "taking into account the goals in question, it makes sense that we mention this subject again."
 
"The reasons we believe that support us in this demand are the ones that are present in the daily concerns of the European Union regarding the sustainability of resource exploitation," stated Vasco Cordeiro.