The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations expressed in Barcelona the Regional Government's satisfaction with the holding of the next meeting of the Executive Bureau of the United Regions Organisation (ORU) in the Region.
 
"The ORU has accepted the invitation made by the Azores and the ORU Fogar Bureau meeting in the first half of 2020," said Rui Bettencourt. The government official spoke on the sidelines of the ORU Bureau meeting that took place in the Catalan capital, where was this announcement was made.
 
The Secretary for External Relations stated that the theme of the meeting to be held in the Azores is "particularly interesting" as it will address the "role of regions in drawing up the new world that is merging and the role of regions in the international relations of this new world."
 
"We have been at the Executive Bureau of ORU Fogar to say that we intend to intensify the participation of the Azores in this organisation and to invite this organisation to hold the next Bureau meeting next year in the Azores," added the government official.
 
Rui Bettencourt pointed out that "the Azores are tailored to be on the world stage," taking into consideration their geostrategic position "on the frontiers of three worlds: the European, American and African world." This is also evidenced by "the history of the Azores and the role they have played throughout the centuries in globalisation" as well as by the Azorean diaspora and the presence of the Azores in the world, particularly in Canada, the United States, Bermuda and Brazil.
 
The United Nations Organisation is a cooperation body that brings together governments of subnational territories and associations worldwide with the aim of making the voice of regions heard in the globalisation process and promoting new territorial governance rules and initiatives for cooperation among regions.
 
The Bureau proposes the organisation's political guidelines, implements the policies adopted by the General Assembly, coordinating the work carried out by members and the specific commissions that may be created within the organisation. Additionally, it is also in charge of the secretariat and financial management and establishes the regulations that must be approved by the General Assembly.