The Regional Government of the Azores and the Luso-American Foundation inaugurated in 2008 a Forum of discussion on pressing issues in the transatlantic relation. Due to its geographical position and history, the Azores are both symbolically and politically important for the transatlantic relationship.
Half-way across the Atlantic, our goal is to make the Azores a “safe harbor” for in-depth discussions on how to make the Euro-American partnership increasingly effective in addressing common global challenges like poverty, global warming and international peace and security.
The name of the Forum pays tribute to President Roosevelt’s remarkable role in Foreign Policy and highlights the special attention Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the fascinating geopolitical issues posed by the Azorean Islands, which he visited during the First World War when serving the Wilson Administration.
The second Forum will take place in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, on the 14th, 15th and 16th of April 2010. As in the previous edition, the conference will convene multiple perspectives and disciplines and discuss not only current issues in the transatlantic relation but also the historical evolution of the Europe-USA relationship and the geopolitics of the Atlantic and of the Azores throughout the Twentieth century.
As Europe and the Unites States face historical realignments of political and economic power, and in the run-up to a potentially crucial NATO summit to be held in Portugal at the end of 2010, the II Forum will address the challenges faced by the US and Europe and the role of the emerging powers in the Pacific and in the South Atlantic.
