The Lehendakari committed to "expanding" the cooperation network with the diaspora at the reception for the basque community in the USA

• Urkullu stressed the work and endeavor to keep the Basque community “more active and visible" than ever 
• The Lehendakari invited the Basque community abroad to the World Congress of Basque Communities to be held in Vitoria-Gasteiz in October and which will seek to “diasporize Basque society" 

During his official trip to Boise, Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, the Basque Premier, has hosted a reception for the Basque community in the United States. During the ceremony, the Lehendakari recognized the commitment of the descendents of those Basques who left the Basque Country and found a new home in the United States as they are part of a community that is “more active and visible than ever”. Proof of this work is the Jaialdi itself which had been held every 5 years since 1987.  The Lehendakari stressed that he was proud of the work carried out and expressed his desire to continue “expanding” the cooperation networks. 

The Lehendakari reviewed the cooperation projects involving the Basque Government and the Basques residing in the USA, including the Bibliographical Dictionary coordinated together with the University of Nevada in Reno, which contains 10,000 references to people that emigrated to the United States; the new Agreement with Boise State University, which is added momentum to the Basque Studies Department; access to the eLiburutegia platform, which will be available to all the Euskal Etxeak (Basque Cultural Centres) of the world in autumn as part of the Euskadi Digital; or the Memoria Bizia project that is compiling the oral history of Basque emigration. 

In this regard, Urkullu expressed his willingness to “expand” the cooperation network with the Basque community, from whom “we have much to learn”. “The interest is mutual and we need your feed-back or 'feed-Basque’,” explained the Lenhendakari, who also advocated “fanning the flames” of the Basque presence abroad.

World Congress of Basque Communities

The Lehendakari ended by issuing an invitation to take part in the VI World Congress of Basque Communities that will be held in Vitoria-Gasteiz from 7 to 9 October.  The Congress seeks to “diasporize” Basque Society and has set three core areas for the Euskal Etxeak: the generational handover and the role of women, the relationship with the new Basque emigration, and outreach and cooperation with other Diasporas settled in the host countries. 

FESTARA

In the afternoon, the Basque delegation led by Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, attended “Festara”, the main ceremony of the Jaialdi featuring groups and artists from the Basque Country or of Basque origin from Boise.