Objective:
To stimulate cooperative research and exchanges between the USA and Azores. ACIP, or rather the requirement to engage in cooperative initiatives with the Azores, Portugal, is mandated in the 1995 US-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute to that agreement. ACIP was created and has been implemented through Department of Defense (DOD) financial resources and relationships with civilian federal agencies and other non-governmental institutions as part of the U.S Government¿s commitment to the agreement. DOD has requested and funded the U.S. Department of Agriculture¿s Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) to serve as the lead civilian agency and facilitator for ACIP. The agreement calls for the strengthening of the economic and social development of the Azores; the identification of areas within which cooperative activities and programs can promote this development; and this cooperation shall be in various areas outlined in the Final Minute, such as agriculture, education, environment, tourism and cultural exchange, civil protection, and social security and health. This cooperative project directly meets these objectives since the forum can encourage the identification of new cooperative projects and stimulate tourism in the Azores.

Approach:
The Regional Government of the Azores (RGA) and USDA will work together to establish the parameters of the first of what is anticipated to be an annual forum. In addition to the RGA and University, partners to develop this forum will include the Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, the Luso-American Foundation (FLAD), the US Embassy in Portugal, and other relevant Portuguese and U.S. stakeholders. Project implementation will involve: - Definition of overall preliminary budget - Definition of Forum¿s theme, agenda and speakers - Invitations and booking of speakers and others - Logistical aspects ¿ conference room, hotels, meals, transfers, etc - Development of web page, invitations, communication materials - Advertising and communication activities, inscription of participants - Event implementation (March 2008) - Dissemination of results (July/August 2008) The first forum is anticipated to be held by the end of calendar year 2008. To further strengthen Trans-Atlantic cooperation, in addition to hosting a regular Forum, the RGA and cooperators will support exchange visits between the USA and Azores. These visits will be identified by the RGA, based on discussion with and agreement by the ADODR, and will support exchange visits with an objective of developing new appropriate cooperative projects in support of the ACIP objectives, in the areas of agriculture, education, environment, tourism and cultural exchange, civil protection, and social security and health.