President Pradales: "It is the time for major decisions and to be present in those decisions. We have to be part of them”

• The President of the Basque Country stressed the significance of the European moment and the need to seize the opportunity to promote the Atlantic Arc.
• He noted that now is the time to press French and Spanish Governments to advance pending commitments, especially regarding the high-speed rail connection.
• A summit with European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tsitsikostas will be held in spring to advance the high-speed rail link.

President Imanol Pradales today reviewed his institutional trip to Bordeaux, a visit he described as particularly relevant given the current European context and the emerging opportunities for the Atlantic Arc.

Pradales emphasised the importance of the meetings held and insisted that now is the time to press the French and Spanish states to "do what they must" regarding the development of the high-speed railway.

In his speech, the President reiterated that the Basque Country will continue to work closely with the European Commission and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, because "we must seize the moment". "Europe cannot wait, nor can the Atlantic axis, and the competitiveness of the Basque Country depends partly on this strategy", he stated.

The President highlighted that the European Commission considers promoting the Atlantic Arc a priority and recognises the high-speed rail link as strategic infrastructure for Europe. He explained that next week the European coordinator will convey the Bordeaux meeting conclusions to the French Government Minister. Similarly, a summit will take place in spring on the border between Iparralde and Hegoalde (the Northern and Southern Basque Country) with the participation of European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tsitsikostas, the Spanish and French Ministers, Nouvelle-Aquitaine President Alain Rousset and President Pradales himself to advance the high-speed connection.

Furthermore, a working day will be held in the Basque Country in September within the framework of activating High-Speed Rail (HSR) Funds aimed at strengthening European connection and mobility projects. Pradales noted the European Commission's clear commitment and insisted that the Basque Country has a window of opportunity to seize without delay.

The President framed this strategy within a decisive moment for Europe, where major projects and funding frameworks defining the coming years are being established. He underscored that in a context of global uncertainty, world order reconfiguration and economic and security threats, this is not just any time, but a time for major decisions. He stressed that "our future is at stake and the Basque Country must be present in these debates and decisions".

Pradales argued that the European commitment to strategic autonomy requires connecting the main industrial and economic nodes of the Atlantic Arc, including the Basque Country, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Madrid, Paris and Lisbon. He noted that the high-speed rail connection is essential for the mobility of people and goods, competitiveness and safety, and is key infrastructure for the industrial and economic transformation of the Basque Country, as well as for the reindustrialisation of Europe.