The President of the Government announced in California the creation of the Council of Azorean Diaspora, a new entity that will provide a practical contribution to the rapprochement between the Communities spread around the world and the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
 
"We believe the Council of the Azorean Diaspora will act as a vehicle towards this effective rapprochement between our Communities and the Azorean reality from a practical and results-oriented standpoint that will benefit the Azores and our Community," said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
The President of the Government spoke in the city of Artesia during a meeting held with the Azorean Community of Los Angeles area as part of the official visit to the state of California.
 
"The Azores of today are not the Azores that many of you and your ancestors left some decades ago, just as California is not the same as it was 30, 40 or 50 years ago," Vasco Cordeiro said, noting that the Region has overcome challenges and adversities during this period of time.
 
Regarding the Region's projection abroad, the President of the Government defended that this challenge calls everyone for the promotion and dissemination of a Region belonging to the European Union, being a gateway to Europe that is investing in new areas of development.
 
"We launch the challenge of attracting these young Azoreans who were born in America to further promote the coordination and cooperation between what is being done in the Azores and the great potential of our Diaspora in projecting these efforts," said the government official.
 
On the fourth day of his official visit to California, Vasco Cordeiro emphasised the need to bear in mind at all levels of institutional representation that "saying in California that we are Azoreans does not lessen the Portuguese presence" in this US State.
 
"On the contrary, it reinforces this presence and it is also a reason of pride.  The failure to realise this is the failure to understand the ties established between our Region, its communities and our country," said the President of the Government.
 
"It is time for this message to be properly disseminated and to be properly understood by all those who, whether or not representing our country at an institutional level in America, must, once and for all, realise that the promotion of the Azores and 'Azoreanity' in America does not lessen the Portuguese presence. In fact, this is a factor that expands this presence and should be a reason of pride for our country," said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
In his speech, the President of the Government expressed his pride in the work, presence and involvement of Azorean Communities in host territories.
 
"The transformation and development that each host community has undergone is also the result of the work and commitment of the Azorean Communities that have settled there," said Vasco Cordeiro.