Artur Lima highlights Azores' role in strengthening cooperation in Macaronesia and Africa under ATLANTE Project - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, met this Thursday in Angra do Heroísmo with the European partners of the ATLANTE Project, expressing his satisfaction with their joint commitment to consolidating strategic relations within the Macaronesia region and with Western African partners.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ATLANTE Project partners’ meeting – a strategic initiative to support the governance of cooperation under the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme, held at the Capitães-Generais Palace. The meeting was primarily intended to monitor the implementation of ongoing actions, assess the progress achieved and identify new opportunities to foster territorial and institutional cooperation.

For Artur Lima, “holding this meeting in the Azores was a significant moment of strategic consultation, reiterating the commitment of the Vice-Presidency and the Regional Government to positioning the archipelago as a prime platform for dialogue in the Atlantic region."

As results were being consolidated, the project’s next steps were discussed, and strategies were drawn up to maximise the impact of the actions undertaken. The aim was to achieve more integrated and sustainable cooperation, delivering tangible benefits for the participating regions.

The working meeting was attended by representatives and officials from the departments for European Affairs and External Cooperation of the Outermost Regions of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, whose participation underscored the shared determination to strengthen synergies within the MAC area.

The ATLANTE Project followed on from the HEXAGONE project. It brings together the three Outermost Regions of Macaronesia – the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands – and seven partner countries in West Africa: Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Ghana, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Côte d’Ivoire. This initiative aims to support the identification of common priorities, the creation of strategic partnerships, and the coordination of different European and international funding instruments.

The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government is participating in the ATLANTE Project through the Regional Directorate for European Affairs and External Cooperation (DRAECE).