The President of the Government considered important the cooperation agreement between the Azores and Quebec signed this afternoon, together with Alfred Pilon, the official responsible for the Youth Office of the Government of Quebec.

It is a convention under the Eurodyssey program, chaired by Carlos César, which will provide Azorean youngsters with an opportunity to undertake traineeships in Quebec, starting in 2012; while youngsters from that Canadian province will have an opportunity to undertake a traineeship in the Azores.

Being Quebec the first region outside the European Union to join the mobility programme Eurodyssey, the agreement signed today is of special significance in bringing an important area of Canada closer to the Old Continent, mentioned Carlos César.

In addition, "an agreement that results from strong emotional ties which are closely related to the presence of the Azorean community in Quebec," Carlos César underlined, adding that we are before "a youth bridge" between the Azores and that Canadian province.
 
"We have dozens of Azorean youngsters - nurses, social workers, managers and professional qualifications - who will have the possibility undertake traineeships for several months in Quebec," said the President of the Government.

In these traineeships, as he also noted, youngsters will have an international experience by acquiring new professional and language skills, likewise the Canadians youngsters who will come to the Azores to undertake in important areas such as geology, marine research, volcanology and tourism.

"It is also a very important agreement because it marks another perspective in the context of Euro-Canadian cooperation that is achieved through the Azores and Quebec," said Carlos César. Furthermore, the President of the Government accepted the invitation made Government of Quebec to visit this province, where many Azorean reside.