The Government of the Azores is to lend financial support for Bermuda?s Portuguese language school.

And Acorean Chief Minister Carlos Cesar is set to visit Bermuda this summer as the two islands build stronger cultural ties.

Portuguese community activist Eddie DeMello reported the developments after returning from an official visit along with politician Trevor Moniz and businessmen Robert Pires.

They were part of a group which flew out last Tuesday for an official visit.

Mr. DeMello said an accord had been signed with the regional government of the Atlantic islands to help fund a dedicated school for the Portuguese language which is currently in a temporary site near Mount St. Agnes School.

He said 80-90 children attended after-school lessons but the current site was shared and desks had to be cleared away every time.

?They are going to subsidise the school. They are going to help with the rent.?

Mr. Moniz said it was time Bermuda?s government helped out on this front too.

He said: ?Independence supporters talk about national unity, I talk about national diversity and representing Bermuda?s diverse cultures.?

He said lip service had been paid to supporting the Portuguese language but nothing was done and he would lend his weight to lobbying Government here.

?They always say you have to prove people want it and they we will provide it but if you don?t provide it, people don?t want it.?

He said CedarBridge had a substantial element with Portuguese roots. ?You would have thought some teaching of Portuguese would have been available there.?

He said the visit had substantial media coverage including a worldwide broadcast by Portuguese language satellite channel RTP.

?Eddie was interviewed by RTP and seven and a half minutes were broadcast. People saw it here and all over the world.?

The group were given an official reception and dinner at the Chief Minister?s palace.

?Clearly it shows the importance they still attach to Bermuda community,? said Mr. Moniz. ?There is some effort to have him come here to visit.?

He said a possible date was for the national day on June 10. Mr. DeMello said: ?We were treated like royalty. We had a really, really good time.?

He left the Island when he was ten and said he was impressed with how the island had developed in the nine years since he last visited.

He said: ?They are building ten new hotels. They are biggies!

?They are getting a lot more tourists than we are getting. The Europeans are all over there. You couldn?t get a room but it?s winter time.?

European Union money had helped fund new US-style super highways said Mr. DeMello.

He said the island was linked to European hubs and North American hubs.

During talks Mr. Moniz brought up the issue of the lack of a Portuguese Consul in Bermuda after the post was axed last summer in an austerity move by the Portuguese Government last year.

The Acorean government had pledged to continue backing Bermuda?s case to restore the post. ?They said to keep complaining and put in writing and they said they would keep the pressure up.?