The President of the Regional Government, Vasco Cordeiro, called for the unity of the Azorean people to help the Region overcome the present difficulties and criticised those who just say what is wrong and put their interests above the Azores'.

"We must be united in this goal of making the Azores move forward. Hence, we should not take a position that defends individual interests," Vasco Cordeiro stated, adding that "if each one does their part well, we will be better prepared to face the turmoil we live in."

The President of the Government stressed that "the challenges are daunting" and called for the need "to have confidence in our capacity to overcome them."

"It will not be easy, nobody said it would be easy, but we will overcome them. As we were able to create measures and take action to support Azorean families and companies overcome these hard times, we will continue following the same path so that we may strengthen our capacity to survive this storm," stated the President of the Government.

Vasco Cordeiro spoke at the opening ceremony of the new premises of Norte Pequeno Village Council that was held on Tuesday night. The government official defended that the Azorean people "should unite to defend the Azores."
 
"Imagine what it was like if there were someone who would find pleasure in criticising some aspects that might have flaws. Imagine if there were someone who would just point out what is wrong and needs to changed in these difficult times," the President of the Government stated, adding that "we should all unite to defend the Azores in these troubled times."

"I know, we all know, that we may not be at the level of Mainland Portugal in some aspects, but mentioning it should be a reason for wanting to reach the same level; therefore it should not be a reason to bring us down. Talking about what we still have to do is a reason to join forces," defended the President of the Government of the Azores. Vasco Cordeiro assured that his Government "is committed to help the Azorean people overcome future challenges."

"This is what we must talk about and put into practice. It does not matter mentioning the things that might be wrong just to discredit the effort, the work, the commitment and determination of the Azoreans who give their best on their everyday lives; our main concern is to work for overcoming the challenges we currently face," stated the President of the Government.

Furthermore, Vasco Cordeiro also praised the qualities of the village of Norte Pequeno in the municipality of Calheta, considering that its achievements should "inspire us to overcome the challenges of everyday life as well as to encourage us in the task that lies ahead."

"The importance and the dynamics of this village and its concerns with the acknowledgement of the value of its culture and history should be a source of pride for those who regard local power as the truest expression of democracy," stated Vasco Cordeiro.

The President of the Government also highlighted the results achieved with the collaboration between the Regional Government and local authorities, which has allowed "the creation of better conditions to serve all those who live in this village."