“The Azores is truly one of the best laboratories in the world to understand what the deep sea is, its riches, the risks they run and their potential and, therefore, science and technology, that is, not just fundamental knowledge, but also the advanced crossover with applied research is absolutely essential”, highlighted Santos Silva, at the end of a visit to Okeanos, a Marine Sciences research institute at the University of the Azores, in the city of Horta.

The president of the Assembly of the Republic, who began a four-day visit to the archipelago on Wednesday, explained to Okeanos researchers and collaborators that he defends the creation of a “global agenda for the ocean”, a kind of “innovative legal treaty International”, which regulates all types of activities to be carried out at sea.

“A global agenda for the ocean has to cover and connect these areas, it has to come from an environmental perspective, but also from an economic perspective, but also from an ecological and ecosystem protection perspective and also from geopolitical and security, which are evident”, insisted Santos Silva.

The oceans are not only “biodiversity nurseries”, he added, but also fundamental spaces for the evolution of the energy transition and the fight against climate change, which must be regulated in terms of public policies.

During the same morning, Augusto Santos Silva also visited the Escola do Mar dos Açores, in the city of Horta, a training space linked to maritime activities in the Azores and promoter of innovative projects, such as the Azores technological free zone, which will be created off the Faial island and will be used to test technologies in the air and maritime domain.

Today, Augusto Santos Silva will be in São Miguel and will be received by the president of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, before returning to Lisbon.