The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, stressed in Montreal, Canada, the importance of raising the awareness of youngsters of Azorean descent for the need to maintain the relation between the communities in the Diaspora and the Azores, highlighting the role that younger generations may play in the development of the Azores.
 
  "This is a challenge to our ability to call for the participation of youngsters to take part in the important mission of keeping alive the Azorean legacy in Canada," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke during a dinner with the Azorean community in Quebec, stressing that the Azores of today are a region with great potential in various areas that "says to the descendants of those who departed that is still present and wants to give them opportunities."

"Nowadays, the Autonomous Region has dramatically changed for the better as a result of the hard work in nearly 40 years of Autonomy. The Region of today is a source of pride for all," stressed the President of the Government on the first day of his visit to the Azorean communities in Canada.

Vasco Cordeiro spoke at the House of the Azores of Quebec on Monday. "If we are able to convey that emigrated communities have a huge potential to help the Azores facing the challenges of today and make them realise that the Azores represent an opportunity, we will have the potential to create the necessary critical mass to take another step forward that will bring more wealth to the Region and boost its development."

At the beginning of a five-day visit to Canada, Vasco Cordeiro stated that his visit aims to demonstrate "the attention and recognition of the Azorean Government towards its communities," being also an opportunity to "pay tribute to all those who left their land, either by choice or necessity, to seek a better for their families."

"As President of the Government, I am proud to embark on this journey, which clearly evidences the resilience of the Azoreans who have triumphed, often in completely strange places," Vasco Cordeiro said, adding that this pride also extends to the way how the Diaspora communities "have gained visibility and were able to integrate themselves into the host societies at a social and economic level."

"We can only acknowledge the value of the Azorean identity if we understand how our communities have successfully integrated into the host societies, without forgetting their roots," said the government official.

Before the dinner held with the Azorean community, Vasco Cordeiro had visited the Mission Sainte-Croix, where he underlined the importance of the activities developed by this social support institute that he considered to be "a cornerstone in the foundations of our communities."
 
"These are ways of keeping alive the values of a community that is identified by the ties to its homeland and its language." In this context, the President of the Government reminded that "being a good Azorean in Canada is to be a good Canadian and take part in life of the host society."

"The Mission Sainte-Croix is a good example of how our community interacts with the host community," Vasco Cordeiro stressed, assuring the support the Government of the Azores in continuing this work.