The president of the Government of the Azores enhanced, today, the “enormous reach” of the agreement that he is going to sign on Saturday in representation of the Region with the North American state of Massachusetts, considering it to be an instrument of “external projection” of Portugal.

In declarations to the journalists on the departure from Ponta Delgada for a travel to the United States to participate, in that North American city, in the Festivities of the Holy Spirit of New England, Carlos César underlined the “historical and affectionate” character of the protocol at issue, emphasizing, also, the autonomic affirmation in the external plan that it represents.

For the Azorean president, the establishment of an agreement in which Massachusetts shows a preference of external relationship with the Azores shows, equally, how the autonomies can be used in benefit of the Portuguese State.

Carlos César highlighted the diversity of the matters of cooperation foreseen by the protocol - from the commercial relations and from the scientific investigation to the tourism and to the teaching - and affirmed the great importance of Massachusetts in the North American economical and political context.

In a reference to the Festivities of the Holy Spirit of New England, in which he will be guest of honour, he considered to be before a great meeting of the "being Azorean" that joins in Fall River thousands of emigrants originating from several regions of the United States, of Canada and of the Bermuda.