The Government of the Azores joined the agreement signed on Friday between the European Union, the United States and Canada for a union of efforts and reinforcement of cooperation on the research on the Atlantic Ocean.

The agreement, signed in Galway, Ireland, aims to promote an alignment of ocean observing efforts of three partners in order to better understand the Atlantic area and to promote the sustainable management of its resources.
 
The Government of the Azores, through the Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, conveyed its support for "this new approach," reiterating its "willingness to take part in the development of this cooperation and, above all, its clear commitment to the pursuit and implementation of the areas of cooperation identified under the agreement at a regional level."

In messages addressed to the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science and to the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries as well as to the Secretary of State Attached to the Minister and of European Affairs and the Secretary of State of the Sea, Rodrigo Oliveira considered that "accomplishment of the goals concerning the European Strategy for Marine Research and the Action Plan for the Atlantic should also encompass a transatlantic dimension involving the cooperation between the EU, the United States and Canada."

The Regional Government also stressed that the agreement "will represent a new phase in transatlantic cooperation, particularly in the fields of science, technology and marine research."

In this regard, the Under Secretary stated that "the Outermost Regions of the European Union - particularly those located in the North Atlantic such as the Azores - are recognised for their role as 'outposts' of Europe in the world, being a fundamental part of this alliance."

"Taking into account its Atlantic centrality, its resources and the work that has been developed in the context of Oceanography and international cooperation, the archipelago of the Azores is an asset in the implementation of this research alliance," states the message sent by the Government.

In this message, the Regional Government also mentioned that "the historical links and a close political relation between the Azores, North American states and Canadian provinces as well as with their institutions and the wide communities of Azoreans and Azorean descendants in several parts of North America will certainly bring added value to Portugal and Europe in this context."

 The agreement between the EU, the United States and Canada acknowledges that a research on the Atlantic ocean will more effective in many areas if coordinated on a transatlantic basis.

The areas identified for potential cooperation under the current agreement include: ocean observation, data sharing, interoperability and coordination of observation infrastructures, sustainable management of ocean resources, seabed and habitat mapping, promotion of researchers' mobility, identification and recommendation of future research priorities.