The President of the Government of the Azores expressed his satisfaction with the beginning of the installation process of the meteorological radar on Terceira Island, stressing that this should be a first step to meet the Region's needs in this area.
 
"The establishment of a radar network in the Autonomous Region of the Azores will provide a timely coverage and reading of meteorological phenomena on all nine islands and along the 600 km that separate them. This represents a rapid progress towards the installation of a meteorological radar on São Miguel and of a third one on the island of Flores," defended Vasco Cordeiro.
 
The President of the Azorean Government spoke in Angra do Heroísmo during the signing of a lease contract with the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere for the installation of a Meteorological Radar Station in Serra de Santa Bárbara. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino.
 
With the full conclusion of the investments in this radar network, we will be able to say that the Azores is on equal footing with the rest of the country in this field and that the Azorean population enjoys the same degree of attention and support from the State as their fellow citizens, stated the President of the Government.
 
"I am sure that the Minister and the National Government share this common concern and they will certainly keep up with the Regional Government's ambition in this matter," said Vasco Cordeiro. In this regard, he noted that the importance of this process concerns not only the safety of populations and the protection of their assets, but also a wide range of civil activities, especially air navigation.
 
Furthermore, the President of the Government pointed out that the signing of this agreement is a good example of the practical implementation of the Joint Declaration signed by both governments in April 2016. It has already achieved some developments at various levels, namely in solving problems and challenges that the Azorean population currently faces.
 
"With regard to Terceira Island, we can mention, as example, the clear assumption of the Economic Revitalisation Plan for Terceira as a "strategic and guiding document" for the actions carried out by the National Government in this area. We are making progress in several fields, namely the certification process for the civil use of Lajes Air Base and low cost flight operations for Terceira, among many others," said the government official.
 
Vasco Cordeiro also considered that there are many other areas where this joint collaboration, "without forgetting the powers assigned to each part and working towards convergence, may easily yield results" for the benefit of the Azores and the country, such as the case of the Azores Sea.
 
In particular, the President of the Government mentioned the efforts that Ana Paula Vitorino has led, both in attracting foreign investment to the national port system and in defining measures to strengthen the competitiveness of national ports.
 
"These are two situations that clearly demonstrate the potential that still holds the joint approach to matters of decisive importance for our collective future, whether in Mainland Portugal, in the Azores or in Madeira," said the President of the Government.
 
"Therefore, the challenge I launch here, in one case or in another, is to adopt a convergent approach that includes and boosts the advantages that the Azores and Madeira - and I recall the case of Praia da Vitória Port - may bring to their positioning as well as to the positioning of the country," said Vasco Cordeiro.