The President of the Government challenged today Azorean and Luso-Canadian entrepreneurs to invest in the Azores, seizing the opportunities provided by the Region and contributing to the progress and wealth of the land where they were born or from where their parents and grandparents left.

"Do you want to be our partners and help us developing the land of your ancestors?" Vasco Cordeiro posed this question, addressing at the thirty entrepreneurs attending the meeting promoted by the Society for the Business Development of the Azores (SDEA), which was intended to "disseminate the opportunities available for those who wish to become our partners."

"When the Azoreans came here, they had left the Region because it had no opportunities for them. Now, we are trying to recover our History and promoting the opportunities the Azores have to offer," the President of the Government said, stressing that Azores are a gateway to the European Union and that the Azores have sound public finances, a reduced budget deficit and good incentive systems.

Speaking at the opening session of the meeting, Vasco Cordeiro stressed the investment opportunities in the areas of Tourism and the Sea, but also in the area of dairy products, where "the most important is not to increase production, but to value it among consumers and disseminate the quality of Azorean products." With regard to the wine sector, the President of the Government reminded the existence of abandoned areas on the island of Pico with the potential to produce again "not only white wine, but also white wine from an area that is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the meeting, Vasco Cordeiro spoke to reporters, saying that the "meeting was very productive and provided the basis for greater involvement and a better knowledge of our community from Montreal about the business opportunities provided by the Azores."

"We hope that, from now onward, we will be able to strengthen the communication channels so that we can effectively begin a new phase in terms of the participation of Azorean communities in the development and progress of their land, the President of the Government added, conveying his satisfaction for the preparation of a business mission that includes Montreal investors.

On this second day of his visit to Canada, the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, will travel to Winnipeg in the province of Ontario, where we will meet with the local Azorean community.