Full text containing the speech delivered today by the Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, Rui Bettencourt, at the presentation of the proposals for Medium-Term Guidelines and the Regional Annual Plan and Budget for 2017:
 
"When we presented the Regional Government's programme for 2017-2020 in the area of External Relations, we proposed, as central line of action, "to bring the Azores to the world and bring the world to the Azores" in a consensual approach.
 
I will now present you, in more detail, what the Government intends to do and the priorities for this area of governance in the 2017 Budget and Plan, which grew 8%.
 
The aspiration of projecting and affirming the Azores in the world takes shape in terms of public action, first and foremost in Europe, with our strong and permanent presence in all European institutions and in all meetings where we are involved.
 
I would start, precisely, by placing here the Government's action in defence of our remoteness.
 
As you know, the European Union recognises the specific nature of Outermost Regions by allowing the Commission to propose and the Council to adopt specific provisions to adapt European law to these regions.
 
Hence, 2017 is a particularly relevant year insofar as the European Commission is expected to present a new Communication containing its proposals for the future of the Outermost Regions that has as backdrop the ongoing reflection on the post-2020 cohesion policy and the long-term consequences of Britain leaving the European Union.
 
In this area, the participation of the Azores in the Memorandum is of paramount importance. We have prepared the document and will present it, together with all Outermost Regions, at the Forum of ORs to take place in Brussels on March 30 and 31. On the occasion, the Memorandum will be delivered to the President of the European Commission. It has a triple and clear goal:
 
- Firstly, it aims to consolidate and strengthen the existing mechanisms in benefit of these regions;
 
- Secondly, it aims to adapt European programmes and initiatives that we have yet to benefit to the specificities of Outermost Regions;
 
- Thirdly, it aims to develop policies for Outermost Regions by creating specific tools in various sectors, including Agriculture, Environment, State aid, Economics, Social and Territorial Cohesion, Culture, Business, Energy, Research, Development and Innovation, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Integrated Maritime Policy and Transport.
 
With regard to the preparation of this Forum, it should be noted the coordination of the Regional Government's interventions with those of economic and business partners, social partners, the University of the Azores, which will also take part in the meeting.
 
In order to promote the presence of the Azores with European institutions and partners, we will present the Regional Representation Office in Brussels on March 31. Its main mission is to reinforce the intervention capacity of the Azores towards the defence of their interests through greater proximity to the EU major institutions and bodies as well as to other entities, namely interregional organisations, public and private institutions and entities representing other Regions and States.
 
This Office, which immediately will develop synergies with the Representation of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, will also be at the service of Azorean authorities and civil society bodies in the search for solutions and promote of their interests in Brussels.
 
As the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaime Gama, said a few days ago, "all foreign policy is domestic policy." We must immediately tell the Azores, here and to all Azoreans, what we are doing and how we are doing.
 
In 2017, a key year in the construction of the European Union, with humanist values at risk, it is important to put Europe under debate in the Azorean society.
 
The plan to mobilise people towards European issues, designated as European Citizenship, intends to bring Europe to thousands of Azoreans, from young people attending school to adults. It includes conferences and debates on topics such as the future of Europe, European innovation strategies, Outermost Regions and the new centrality of the Azores, featuring personalities of acknowledged expertise. Moreover, the project comprises multimedia contests, theatre plays with European figures, recreational and educational games at schools, European tales at public libraries or the celebration of Europe Day; the latter will be celebrated this year on the island of Corvo in unprecedented involvement with the local population.
 
As for external cooperation, special emphasis will be given to the implementation of the Azorean Council for Internationalisation.
 
This is an advisory and internal coordination body of the Region.
 
The main purpose of the Council is to organise synergies for the external promotion of the Azores with all those who are involved in them, namely companies focused on internationalisation ventures, or the organisation of strategies aimed at the internationalisation of Azorean society in all its dimensions: representation of the Azores abroad, economic promotion and tourism, education, training, mobility, cultural promotion, sport, civic intervention, health, social development, innovation or the Region's image abroad.
 
In this organisation of synergies and the awakening of the international dimension of the Azores, the Government must take on the role of strategist, key driver and policy maker. In turn, companies and civil society organisations must play the role assigned to them.
 
Another dimension of our external action concerns the appreciation of our Diaspora. We will take action on two fronts.
 
On the one hand, we intend to support social inclusion and intervention among emigrants and returnees by promoting their integration in the host country - as we have been doing by supporting organisations that promote information and awareness-raising actions on this topic with our communities - but also in the cooperation with Diaspora organisations, particularly with the Houses of the Azores.
 
This will be achieved by promoting "Azoreanity" and Azorean cultural identity and, above all, involving young people.
 
Intercultural issues are also included in our action.
 
On the other hand, we are encouraging a formidable potential provided by the fact that we have over a million Azoreans in our Diaspora.
 
The main strategy here is to call for the involvement of young Azoreans in the world to take part in our project.
 
I have said."