The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, sent this afternoon a message of congratulations to Ernest J. Moniz, an Azorean descendant who was appointed Secretary of Energy of the new U.S. Government by President Obama.

In his letter, Vasco Cordeiro states that "it is with great joy that the Regional Government welcomes the news of your appointment as Secretary of Energy of the United States," adding that it is "another evidence of the clear success achieved by our community that is now acknowledged by the President of the United States."

The message also emphasises "the collective path followed by the Azorean community and the Azorean descendants in the USA," which has long been a source of great pride for all Azoreans." Vasco Cordeiro also states "that the Government of the Azores is willing to cooperate with U.S. authorities within their spheres of action, specifically in the development of technical and scientific cooperation projects such as the ones already implemented in the archipelago with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. academic institutions and the University of the Azores.”

Ernest J. Moniz was born to Azorean parents in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1944. He is one of the foremost researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he has recently held the positions of Director of Energy Initiative and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment at the Department of Physics. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy between 1995 and 1997 and as Deputy Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 2001.
 
His appointment by President Obama is now awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Congress.