José Manuel Bolieiro highlights "Azores' geostrategic importance" in meeting with António Costa - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, met today with the President of the European Council, António Costa, at the Europa building, the main headquarters of the European Council, as part of his visit to Brussels for various working meetings.

The meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm the cooperation between both leaders, recalling their previous collaboration, with José Manuel Bolieiro leading the Azorean Government and António Costa as Prime Minister of Portugal.

The head of the Azorean Government highlighted the evolution of the Azores from a region of needs to a region of opportunities. He pointed out that the Azores' relevance should not be solely measured by its territorial and demographic size but by its contribution through its vast maritime, spatial and western Atlantic dimensions.

"The Azores are not just a remote territory, they are a strategic asset for Portugal and the European Union," stated José Manuel Bolieiro.

The President of the Government stressed the need to integrate the cohesion policy with strategies promoting territorial and social cohesion and the development of peripheral regions. He also underlined the geostrategic importance of the Azores, particularly in matters related to competitiveness, investment, security and defence.

José Manuel Bolieiro expressed concern about the continuity of the cohesion policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, emphasising the need to maintain its goals of mitigating regional asymmetries.

He defended that this policy must remain a fundamental tool for the social and economic development of European regions and their full integration into the single European market, especially in a context of growing competitiveness between regions.

The head of the Azorean Government also emphasised the Azores' role in new emerging economies, such as the blue economy, the space economy and new communication technologies.

"The Azores are a point of convergence for the new economies and must be regarded as such," he said.

José Manuel Bolieiro pointed out that the Azores can make a significant contribution to the strategic dimension of Portugal and the European Union, maximising opportunities in these sectors and boosting competitiveness and innovation, through high-performance technological infrastructures.

He also highlighted the importance of the sea in the European Union's security and defence policies, stressing that European institutions must recognise that investing in and developing the Azores is not a burden but rather an opportunity to strengthen cohesion and development policies.

"The Azores are a gateway and a strategic asset for Europe," he concluded.