The Secretary of the Presidency announced yesterday that the city of Horta will be the chosen venue for the Portuguese Seminar of the "Atlantic Forum" to be held under the theme "Coastal and Deep Natural Resources." The event is part of the EU commission's communication: "Develop a maritime strategy for the Atlantic Region."

André Bradford participated in the closing session of the "Roosevelt Forum," an event "co-developed and co-organised by the Luso American Foundation for Development and the Government of the Azores." This year's event focused on the debate and reflection of the theme "The Sea in the Perspective of History, Strategy and Science." In this context, the government official explained that "one of the goals of what is commonly designated as "Strategy of the Atlantic" embodies the "adoption of an action plan by end of 2013, including measures and specific projects worthy of support and investment.”

The organisation of the "Atlantic Forum" in the Azores "is extremely important as it will be a space for reflecting and making decisions for the future. The Forum brings together senior officials from EU institutions, Member States, EU Parliament, Regions, research institutions, economic sector and civil society," the government official stated, adding that this event "will, once again, put the Azores in the centre of the Atlantic as well as in the centre of European discussions on Maritime Policy."

According to André Bradford "the sea is the essence of the Azores." Considering that this statement has both "a poetic and emotional side," the government official underlined "the strong belief founded on the premise that the sea is vocation and a potential that requires the full attention of public authorities on behalf of general interest and sustainable future of the Region."

The new challenges posed by the sea and the extension of the Portuguese continental shelf as well as by the future use of resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone "renovate the geo-strategic importance a provide a new contribution for the position of Portugal in the Atlantic and the new areas of economic development, which will bring benefits to all Azoreans."

"The Azores are the main reason why Portugal is able, once again, to leave the peninsula and open the sea to Europe," the Regional Secretary of the Presidency said, adding that the "Sea Policy represents a crucial and priority axis in the relation between the Azores and the European Union."

"For André Bradford, transatlantic cooperation as any partnership involves a cyclical component and dynamic role in redesigning the strategic environment either by strengthening or weakening to detriment of other circumstantial interests and priorities." The government official pointed out the example of "those who say that the "Pacific is the new Atlantic" and, therefore, Euro-American cooperation will suffer the impact."

Even though, André Bradford continues to believe that "friendship is also a structural aspect of a relation that is historically based on the recognition of a new world whose ties have been strengthened over the centuries. Despite the internal contingencies of each partner state, this relation has always been renovated in favour of common interests, involving a special consideration that has gone beyond the immediate accomplishment of goals."

With regard to the future of U.S. presence at Lajes Air Base, the Regional Secretary pointed out "the real and significant contribution provided by the Azores, through the presence of U.S. military forces on Terceira, so that the value of common values and principles may be fully acknowledged." Moreover, the government official said that "both parties are expected to find the best solutions that fit into common aspirations and interests on behalf of their history of cooperation."

Hence, "the Azores expect that the diplomatic reason be as important as financial and military imperatives in order to ensure the continuity of the Atlantic partnership focused on the Region and avoid it to become a residual relation that overshadows the future. The Azores' role as privileged Atlantic partner cannot be assigned to others regions with less relevance and little tradition of cooperation," concluded André Bradford.