The President of the Government considered today that the notification released by the United States on the reduction of Portuguese workers at Lajes Air Base to the Azores Air Zone Command and the Committee of Employee Representatives is a "gross violation" of the spirit of the last meeting of the Permanent Bilateral Commission, held in Lisbon on February 11.

"The fact that the U.S. Air Force has apparently decided to proceed with the implementation of what had already been decided for Lajes Air Base is a gross violation of the spirit of the last meeting of the Permanent Bilateral Commission," said Vasco Cordeiro to journalists in Ponta Delgada.

Vasco Cordeiro recalled that during this meeting, it was agreed that another meeting of the Permanent Bilateral Commission will be held in Washington to specifically discuss the process concerning the reduction of military forces and civil personnel at Lajes Air Base.

"We believe that this meeting will have some validity if is not just a mere confirmation of what appears to be an attempt on the part of the USA to implement this decision, against the will of Portugal, in the way they have been doing," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
 
In response to the questions posed by journalists, the President of the Government also revealed that he his following this process and that he expressed his satisfaction with this situation, which was conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the U.S. Ambassador in Lisbon.

"It is important to bear in mind that these processes should not be limited to a theory; they must have practical consequences," stressed the President of the Government.

According to him, the notification that was recently released by the U.S. Air Force confirms the warnings about the way this process is taking place: "an unfair and unreasonable decision that undermines the dignity of the relation between both countries."