2 June 2021 • 0

Official presentation of the Atlantic Centre

Source : www.2021portugal.eu

The Atlantic Centre will be officially presented at Airbase No. 4 on Terceira Island in the Azores on 14 May.

At around 14h30 (local time), the Portuguese Minister of National Defence, João Gomes Cravinho, and the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, will be in attendance to witness the presentation of a joint statement. This statement has been signed by 16 countries on three continents, all of which are committed to the development of the Atlantic Centre. The signatory countries are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, France, Gambia, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uruguay and Equatorial Guinea.

The ceremony will mark the beginning of a new phase in the development of this joint initiative of Atlantic countries, which will be a platform for political dialogue, a space for analysis and reflection, and a centre of training and learning.

What is the Atlantic Centre?

In the fast-evolving Atlantic context, the Atlantic Centre will focus on improving the security conditions of the entire region, as part of a comprehensive approach aimed at identifying existing and future challenges and providing shared responses.
It will bring together experts from the armed forces, academia, industry and security forces of the member states, as well as from partner organisations. Through research, dialogue and the sharing of knowledge between member states and working with regional and international partners, the Atlantic Centre will contribute to the development of national and regional strategies to promote peace, security and prosperity in the Atlantic. It will also assist in the development of capacity building to support peace and security in the region and in the Atlantic.
The Centre has been focusing on developing complementary international partnerships with regional organisations in the Atlantic, preparing future training activities in the Azores and developing new opportunities for closer political cooperation between nations interested in joining the initiative.
The ambition is for the Centre to become a meeting place for Atlantic nations, where they can engage in dialogue on their shared security concerns and opportunities for cooperation, committed to building stronger Atlantic partnerships and contributing to improving capabilities in the field of security and defence.