Ander Caballero meets the Secretary General of the Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office, Julie Bynens, in Brussels

The Secretary General for External Action and Global Basque Country, Ander Caballero, met this afternoon in Brussels with the Secretary General of the Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office, Julie Bynens.

At the meeting, they discussed the organisation of the second edition of the "Fit for the Future” Leaders Meeting, to be held in Bilbao on 9 and 10 February 2026. The meeting, co-chaired by the Lehendakari and the Minister-President of Flanders, will bring together Europe's principal industrial regions to reflect on the common challenges and opportunities for the future of Europe. The first edition took place in Antwerp in 2024, within the framework of the Flemish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Both parties agreed on the giving new impetus to the Basque Country - Flanders Memorandum of Understanding, with special attention to the industrial and supply chain reconfiguration fields, considered strategic for the competitiveness and economic resilience of both regions. The meeting also served to explore new opportunities for cooperation in the European context, particularly in relation to the new cohesion policy and initiatives promoting regional leadership in Europe.