On Thursday, the Vice-President of the Government presided over the presentation ceremony for the Autonomous Region of the Azores’ participation in the 2025 Universal Exposition in Osaka, Japan, which will take place between April 13 and October 13.

“We want to continue affirming the Azores internationally,” stressed Artur Lima during the event at BTL—Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market.

During the ceremony, the Vice-President stressed that “the Government of the Azores is leveraging the unique characteristics of the archipelago”, in the context of its geographical setting “as an undeniable center for high-level research and value-added investment in the Atlantic Ocean”.

Artur Lima said that the “high-potential scientific cooperation between the Azores and Japan” could lead to “substantial knowledge transfers between the parties.”

For the Region, this is “an opportunity to showcase our ongoing technological development and innovation”, he stressed.

The Vice-President of the Government said the Azores’ participation in this world-scale event is also aimed at establishing “economic and commercial cooperation ties that promote the attraction of foreign investment and the projection of Azorean goods and products.”

Cooperation with Japan can also be developed within the European Union (EU). In this regard, Artur Lima recalled that EU-Japan relations are also based on “the commitment to the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework,” the latter of which sets the goal of conserving and managing 30% of land and sea areas.

“The Azores are pioneers in this regard, with the recent creation of the largest Marine Protected Area in the North Atlantic,” he said.

The Azores will be present at Expo Osaka 2025 under the theme “Entre Corações” (Between Hearts), a reference to traditional Azorean music that aims to transcend cultural barriers. The concept presented here draws on the analogies between the two archipelagos, linked by nature, culture, and the sea.

In this regard, Artur Lima pointed out that “the geographies of both archipelagos have enabled the development of a very particular history, culture and maritime and scientific interests, which will now be mutually discovered in Osaka”.

In addition to various regional entities from a wide range of sectors, the session was also attended by the Portuguese Commissioner for Expo Osaka 2025, Joana Gomes Cardoso.

From Press Release

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.