The President of the Government participated in the ceremonies of Portugal Heritage Day that took place in Boston on Tuesday. The government official defended the evolution of the relations between the Region and the emigrant communities in order to enhance the potential the new generations of Azorean descendants can bring to the projection of the Azores in the world.

"It is now time to move forward with the evolution of this relation in order to fulfill, in favour of their homeland, all this valuable human capital provided by the Azoreans living outside the Autonomous Region."

The President of the Government was the guest of honour of these ceremonies, an event promoted by the Portuguese-American Legislative Caucus, which included the bestowal of honorary commendations to several Luso-American personalities who have excelled in their communities in several areas.

According to Vasco Cordeiro, the emigrant community is a “key factor to the assertion of the Azores of today in the world, the promotion of an in-depth knowledge on our reality and to our integration in relevant geostrategic spaces - bringing a political dimension and relevance to the relations of the Portuguese State."

"In the globalised world we live in, Azorean Communities are the Azores' flagships in host countries, such as the case of the United States where there are actors in the main political scene, which should become a means of promoting the Region," defended the President of the Government. According to him, it is also important to promote exchange programmes in order to enhance the potential the second and third generations of Azorean emigrants can bring to the projection of the Azores in their host countries.

"In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary to make our Emigrants acquainted with the current reality of the islands, with special emphasis on the Azores that have invested in new technologies and in the economy with innovation and entrepreneurship. The Azores are now equipped with a modern transport network as well as with good education and health systems," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.