The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stated in Manitoba, Canada, that this is "a historic moment for Azoreans in the world to take actions for the Azores."
 
"In our 600-year history, the Azoreans have been disseminating the Azores around the world for the past 400 years," said Rui Bettencourt. In this regard, he noted that "only with the advent of Autonomy some decades ago, the autonomous governments of the Azores have been acknowledging the value of the Azoreans living outside the archipelago by supporting citizens and diaspora organisations.
 
"Now we have taken a tremendous step forward so that all Azoreans, regardless of where they are in the world the generation to which they belong, may be recognised and valued as Azoreans, participating in the Azorean project and making history," stressed the government official. He spoke Monday at the House of the Azores of Winnipeg at a meeting with cultural, social, sports, philharmonic and press associations, and citizens of the Azorean diaspora.
 
With the creation of the Azorean Diaspora Council and the registration of Azoreans at the electronic platform acorianosnomundo.azores.gov.pt, this is "an important moment to take action, to participate and to be part of the History of the Azores," noted the Regional Secretary.
 
The platform, which provides for the mapping of the Azorean people, will also allow Azoreans around the world to vote and elect their representatives in 19 constituencies, five of them in Canada.
 
Rui Bettencourt also said that, besides being "an unprecedented platform," this is "a tool for mobilising the Azoreans as well as for becoming aware of our condition as Azoreans, our strength and our identity."
 
The Regional Secretary began Sunday a visit to Canada with a meeting at the House of the Azores of Quebec in Montreal, where he met with cultural, social, sports and philharmonic associations, and with the local press, an event aimed at disseminating the "Azoreans in the World" website.  
 
On the occasion, the government official conveyed a message of fraternal greetings and hope in the Azores from the President of the Government, also praising the very significant presence of Azoreans attending the event despite the snowstorm.
 
Rui Bettencourt will meet with the Azorean communities of Canada in a visit that takes place until January 18, during which he will be accompanied by the Regional Director for the Communities, Paulo Teves.
 
This visit, which began in Montreal in the province of Quebec and then continued to Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, will also cover Edmonton and Calgary in the province of Alberta, Vancouver in the province of British Columbia, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, 8,000 km from the Azores, and ends in Toronto in the province of Ontario.