The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stated in Ponta Delgada that the relations between the Azores and Santa Catarina, being grounded in Azorean emigration from the mid-18th century, currently have "a presence of great vitality and a future that will certainly be built over the emotional ties as well as on the common interests that unite us."
 
"Young people are our priority and our goal is to make them understand the history of migration and the Azorean contribution in Southern Brazil and, therefore, I can announce that, among other initiatives scheduled for this year, the prize for the winning team of the contest "Azores: Sea of Cultures" will be a trip to Southern Brazil and Santa Catarina," revealed Rodrigo Oliveira.
 
The Regional Under Secretary spoke Tuesday on behalf of the President of the President of the Government at a lecture on "The historical relation between the Azores and Southern Brazil." The government official highlighted in his speech some initiatives of the Government during the current legislative period, including the one-month training taught by Santa Catarina lacemakers to Azorean thirty participants in 2014.
 
"This initiative has closed a cycle in history by returning to the archipelago an art brought by Azorean settlers in 18th century," said Rodrigo Oliveira. In this regard, the government official pointed out the opening of an Azores Shop at Florianopolis Municipal Market last year, a "partnership between Florianopolis City Hall, which provided the space, the House of the Azores of Santa Catarina, which is in charge of its operation, and the Regional Government; the latter has support the works designed to create a space where the Azores of today are shown to thousands of visitors."
 
Rodrigo Oliveira praised the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santa Catarina, in the person of its president, for the role played by this institution in "the recovery of roots and the decisive contribution provided by Azorean settlers to the culture of Southern Brazil," namely since 1948 with the organisation of 1st Congress of Santa Catarina's History and the 200 years of the arrival of Azorean settlers to this region of Southern Brazil. Moreover, he also congratulated the institution for the bestowal of the Autonomic Commendation of Civic Merit that was awarded on the Day of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
 
In the person of speaker and vice-president of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santa Catarina, Nereu do Vale Pereira, Rodrigo Oliveira paid tribute to all researchers and historians on both sides of the Atlantic who have managed to recover this heritage through extensive research academic, "contributing to the dissemination of the Azorean presence in many municipalities in the state of Santa Catarina." Furthermore, their work has also contributed to the "dissemination of the legacy left by Azorean pioneers and the impressive way that, after two and a half centuries, remains vibrant, dynamic and deeply rooted in the life of Santa Catarina's people."
 
In the context of the celebrations taking place this year, the Regional Secretary also recalled the importance of the University of the Azores in the establishment of the cultural bridges between the Region and cultural and research institutions from Santa Catarina in the first half of the eighties, including the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santa Catarina and the Federal University of Santa Catarina.
 
In his speech, the government official also stressed that Autonomy and the Region's governing bodies played a key role, primarily due to the powers allocated under the relation with the Diaspora and, in particular, with the creation of the Regional Directorate for Communities in 1998.
 
"It is the Autonomy that has allowed the Region to strengthen these ties, notably with the partnerships with the House of the Azores of Santa Catarina, founded with the encouragement and support of the Regional Government, and the Azorean Studies Centre of the Federal University of Santa Catarina; the latter has supported research and the recovery of Azorean heritage in thousands of municipalities across the State of Santa Catarina. The Region has also sent books on several Azorean teams to several institutions, including the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santa Catarina."