Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation welcomes “North Atlantic Group” officials
The Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation, Rodrigo Oliveira, welcomed a group of officials of the North Atlantic Group,” composed by members of the Danish Parliament elected by the Faroe Islands and Greenland, in Ponta Delgada last Friday.
The Faroe Islands and Greenland, the largest island in the world, are autonomous territories of the Kingdom of Denmark, both with nearly 50,000 inhabitants, which, unlike the remaining Danish state, are not part of the European Union.
Rodrigo Oliveira stated that “the Government of the Azores conveyed its satisfaction with the fact that, in the context of a debate on a possible integration of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the European Union, the status of the Azores, as an EU outermost region of the Portuguese State, have drawn the attention of the members of the Danish parliament.”
The gathering of information on the political system of the Region, mainly its relation with the European Union, is the main purpose of the visit undertaken by the six officials of the “North Atlantic” parliamentary group, which was organised with the collaboration of the Government of the Azores. In this context, various visits and meetings with several governmental departments will take place, on São Miguel and Faial, at the Legislative Assembly of the Region and at the University of the Azores. Moreover, the gathering of information will focus on the energy and fisheries policies, sea and environmental affairs as well as on the external action of the Region.
During the meeting with the Regional Under Secretary, in addition to the general context of the visit, several issues were addressed such as the relation of the Region with various EU institutions, with special emphasis to the Parliament and the Commission and the inter-regional cooperation of the Azores.
“The Azores, their political status as well as their action in the context of the European Union, are increasingly drawing the attention of various regions, institutions and political representatives from Europe not only as result of the relevant action of the Region in areas such renewable energies and sea affairs, but also a result of the increasingly presence and visibility of the Azores in Brussels,” stated Rodrigo Oliveira.