AZORES | Portugal must regain its “Atlantic dimension,” emphasises Artur Lima

The Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Artur Lima, warned today at Lajes Base that Portugal must regain its “Atlantic dimension” and make Europe aware of its “maritime dimension.”

“As a country we have to recover our Atlantic dimension, raising the awareness of Europe of our maritime dimension and not just our continental dimension,” he said.

As a result of “European continentalisation and eastward enlargement,” Portugal has “lost its Atlantic dimension,” so it is time for the country and Europe to “seize the opportunity that the Atlantic represents” and “overcome this perverse effect of European integration.”

“And doing so requires, first and foremost, the definition of a strategic vision for this geographical space connecting the Americas to Europe,” he said.

“It is about using it [the Atlantic] with more intelligence, wisdom and ambition to harness the potential and resources of this ocean and to preserve it as a space for cooperation and security,” he continued.

Artur Lima spoke today at the opening session of the 4th Mid-Atlantic  Maritime Security Course (Atlantic Centre), which took place at Lajes Base.

According to the government official, “any strategy for the Atlantic only makes sense if the Azores archipelago is specifically and thoughtfully considered.”

On the occasion, the Vice-President of the Government recalled that Azores are the reason why Portugal “has one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the world” and why the country and Europe “have a maritime control and security system in the Euro-Atlantic area.”

Considering the Atlantic Centre a “good initiative” to “revalue the Atlantic,” Artur Lima stressed that this is a “starting point” for the “work of rethinking the projection of Portugal as a country in this geopolitical world region.”

The 4th Mid-Atlantic Maritime Security Course is taking place until May 31 at Lajes Base, focusing on “Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Atlantic.”

The course involves experts and auditors from countries and organisations linked to maritime security and fisheries regulation and control, from all over the Atlantic basin.

With more participants than in previous editions, this year’s edition brings together 42 auditors and 21 speakers.

GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU