Paulo Estêvão reiterates Government's commitment to Houses of the Azores based in Mainland Portugal - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

On Saturday, the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, reiterated the Regional Government's commitment to the Houses of the Azores, emphasising the search for "synergies" between entities based in Mainland Portugal.

"The creation and promotion of meetings of the national network of Casas dos Açores will foster synergies and expand the capacity to plan and implement the actions that each of the houses develops throughout the year," stated the Regional Secretary.

The government official spoke during the First National Meeting of Houses of the Azores, which took place at the House of the Azores of Lisbon.

Promoted by the Regional Government, the initiative also included the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, and the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade.

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities took the opportunity to call, once again, for the collaboration of the Houses of the Azores in preparing and planning the celebrations of the 600th anniversary of the discovery of the Azores. The Regional Secretariat has been preparing the event since 2024, which will be marked in 2027.

Paulo Estêvão praised the ‘enormous support that the Azores are receiving from various national entities, the diaspora and countries and regions’ hosting Azoreans in planning "hundreds of activities to commemorate the Azores" and the 600th anniversary of their discovery.

"This tremendous support is only possible thanks to the prestige of the Azores and its communities," he stressed.

The meeting brought together leaders of the Houses of the Azores based in Mainland Portugal, namely in Lisbon, the North, the Centro Region and the Autonomous Region of Madeira, as well as representatives of the Houses in the process of being officially established in the Algarve and Alentejo, scheduled for 2026.

The meeting also included training on the Azores Brand to support them in promoting Azorean products nationally. During this phase, participants had the opportunity to gain detailed knowledge of the Azores Brand strategies and reflect on ways to promote regional products.

The 1st National Meeting of Houses of the Azores was a key moment for strengthening cooperation among these entities, promoting coordinated and strategic action to consolidate the Azorean identity, highlight the value of its products, and strengthen the Azores Brand.