“We have always maintained that the geostrategic position of the Azores is significant for security and defense in a prominent transatlantic relationship,” said Bolieiro to journalists in Ponta Delgada.
Bolieiro recalled that through the Lajes base, Portugal “is a foundational state of NATO,” emphasizing the “geostrategic positioning [of the Azores] in terms of geopolitics and geo-economics.”
He also mentioned the “transitions currently occurring globally,” where the Azores “hold great potential that should be appreciated.”
The head of the Azorean government spoke in Ponta Delgada at the opening session of the ‘Sister Cities Summit’, an event by the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), celebrating 40 years in partnership with the Government of the Azores.
When asked if he was informed about recent movements at the Lajes base, the leader remarked that “things followed their normal course in a standard process.”
“In the absence of irregularities, there are no abnormal contacts,” said the official, expressing that he was “perfectly calm about how the process unfolded” with the country and the Azores.
During his seminar opening speech at the ‘Sister Cities Summit’, Bolieiro stated that, situated in the middle of the Atlantic, the Azores have been a vital link between Europe and America.
“Our strategic location has supported the establishment of important partnerships in the defense and economic spheres, enhancing the security and prosperity of both continents,” he mentioned.
Bolieiro highlighted that the oldest U.S. Consulate in the world “is in the Azores and now completes 230 years of continuous operation,” which is a “historical fact revealing the connection [between Portugal and the USA],” which is expected “to continue uninterrupted and enduring.”
According to the regional government president, the historic presence of the U.S. armed forces at the Lajes base “recognizes and leverages the Azores in the scope of relations between Portugal and the United States.”
Bolieiro explained that the Azores “are not just a remote territory, but a strategic asset for Portugal and the European Union,” with its location “in the middle of the Atlantic allowing for significant contributions to security and defense, as well as to competitiveness and innovation through high-performance technological infrastructures.”
FLAD President Nuno Morais Sarmento stated, in turn, that the Azores “play a crucial role” in the country’s relations with the United States, with the Atlantic serving “as a bridge.”
He noted that the initiative held in Ponta Delgada aims “to renew and strengthen the vital role of cities in the future of the Portuguese and American nations.”
Pedro Nascimento Cabral, the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, remarked that “the connection of the Municipality of Ponta Delgada with the United States of America is undeniable and remains,” being “perpetuated by various milestones, notably the twinning with several American and Portuguese cities, highlighted by the [current] summit held in Ponta Delgada.”
