The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, on behalf of the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, will attend the meeting of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union to take place in Brussels today and Tuesday.
 
This meeting, held at the beginning of a new political cycle for European institutions, aims to coordinate positions among the nine outermost regions on several key issues relating to the affirmation of these regions, namely the Multiannual Financial Framework.
 
Rui Bettencourt and the Presidents of other Outermost Regions will also take part in a series of high-level meetings with various representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the governments of France, Spain and Portugal.
 
These meetings aim to make all European decision-makers aware of the importance of Outermost Regions in the European Union as well as of their permanent weaknesses and the resulting specific financing needs for their development.
 
Today, Rui Bettencourt also participates, together with the Presidents of the Outermost Regions, in a working meeting with Marja Rislakki, the Permanent Representative of Finland, who currently chairs the European Union.
 
On Tuesday, the Governments of the Outermost Regions will meet with the President of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development, Younos Omarjee.
 
On the same day, a meeting between the governments of the Outermost regions of the European Union and the governments of its Member States - Portugal, Spain and France - will take place to promote the defence of Outermost Regions at the European Council.
 
With these meetings, Rui Bettencourt will have the opportunity to explain to the Presidents of the Outermost Regions and to the three Community institutions involved in the approval of the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021/2027 - European Commission, European Parliament and European Council - the Azorean position of not accepting cuts in the funding for the Cohesion Policy, the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies and POSEI. Furthermore, the Azores reject the change in the Community co-financing rate from 85% to 70%.