The Regional Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stated in Ponta Delgada that the economic integration of the Atlantic space is a decisive opportunity to increase trade between the Azores and Canada.

 Rodrigo Oliveira spoke Wednesday at a conference sponsored by the Society for the Business Development of the Azores (SDEA) under the "Embaixadoria" programme. The government official stressed that the Trade and Economic Agreement between the European Union and Canada, commonly known as CETA, will into force in 2016. The elimination or substantial reduction of barriers will boost trade between the two blocs, with special emphasis on the most traditional and emblematic products of the Region.

 In his speech, the Regional Under Secretary stressed that Canada is a country that hosts hundreds of thousands of Azorean emigrants and their descendants; therefore, it is an important target market for Azorean production, particularly in the case of the primary sector and agri-food industry.

 In this context, the government official considered that this will be "major challenge. By seizing the potential of the projection and integration of Azorean communities, "we can go beyond the so-called nostalgia market."

 Besides the CETA agreement, Rodrigo Oliveira stressed the Galway Declaration, signed between the European Union, Canada and the USA, with the aim of promoting joint work and sharing of knowledge on the Atlantic area. In this regard, the government official mentioned the Azores sea as “a highly prominent dimension in the archipelago's relation with Canada for their biological, mineral and energy resources as well as for the logistics and port infrastructures to support research, exploitation of resources and transatlantic navigation."

 The Regional Secretary stressed the importance of the Azorean community residing in Canada in the business relation between the Region and the North American continent as well as the importance of internationalisation support tools provided by the Government of the Azores to improve the competitiveness and exports of Azorean companies.

 "The Government of the Azores is strongly committed to creating the conditions for the internationalisation of companies and I am sure that our businesspeople, with their dynamics and the excellence of regional production, will respond enthusiastically to all these opportunities to reinforce trade relations with Canada," said Rodrigo Oliveira.