The President of the Government stated Thursday that he hopes that the President of the Republic, at the end of his visit to the Azores, may have a positive image of "a people committed to their destiny, who are aware of the challenges lying ahead of them and who are mobilised to overcome them."
 
"I would like the images and the impressions of the President of the Republic regarding his visit to the Azores were not that of a Region where there are no challenges, where there are no difficulties and where there are no areas where we would like to achieve even better results," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke during the dinner he offered to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Santana Palace in Ponta Delgada.
 
At the end of the second day of the visit to Santa Maria and São Miguel Islands, the President of the Government pointed out that the Region faces challenges in education, an area where we are implementing measures and policies (ProSucesso Programme) to achieve better results. We have also challenges in the area of social exclusion and, in this regard, we have recently presented the first part of the Region's Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion.
 
"And in the areas where we wish to become a national reference, I would like, above all, to mark this awareness and this desire to coordinate the efforts of public and private entities to work so that we may overcome these challenges," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
 
As for these challenges, there are several aspects rooted in a common cause: the "need to improve the understanding of regional autonomy nationwide," said the President of the Government.
 
"This is not a new matter of concern. It is not even a matter of current protagonists, whether they are in the Region or in the national territory. It is something that runs deeper. It has to do with this difficulty of achieving recognition regarding the potentialities and advantages provided by regional autonomy to our country," said the President of the Government.
 
In this context, Vasco Cordeiro said there are very specific examples. According to him, some of which have been a reality for many years, such as State services in Regions or in "new areas where, legitimately, the Region desires to have a say and a type of participation that is in accordance to the times we are living in."
 
"This is the case of the Sea; we have the ambition to be part of this promise for our country. There must be a clear understanding of what is at stake: the reinforcement of national cohesion among all the territorial components of our country," defended the President of the Government.