The President has inaugurated the VIII World Congress of Basque Communities, which aims to continue building the Global Basque Community

• The President, Iñigo Urkullu: “We have a broad, solid and strong network of Basque Communities; we are living in times of change and uncertainty and we have to respond appropriately so that we can continue to build, strengthen and expand the Basque community; what we do today will be fruitful for the Basque Country of the future.”

The President, Iñigo Urkullu, accompanied by Marian Elorza, Secretary General of the European Union and External Action, has inaugurated the VIII World Congress of Basque Communities Abroad. The event was also attended by the board members Jokin Bildarratz and Bingen Zupiria.

The President began his speech by highlighting what unites us and what we have in common: “We share a people, we share a homeland,” he said. Four years have passed since the last World Congress was celebrated and during this time, numerous events have taken place in which the Basque Community has managed to continue building and expanding its network. “The Basque Community has demonstrated during this time that the network works and that we have an extensive, solid and strong network, the President said.

“ERALDAROA” (transformation) is the slogan chosen for this edition, with which “we highlight the transformation process in which we find ourselves,” said Urkullu. “We live in times of change and uncertainty, times where things are rapidly evolving, and we must respond appropriately,” was the point that the President made. In this regard, Urkullu recalled the important steps taken in the last four years — the drafting of a new Bill for the Basque Community Abroad; the Han-Hemen dynamic that seeks to explore the reality of the new Basque migration and its needs; the academic world is reflecting on the Basque Diaspora Postgraduate Course, which is currently in its third edition and the Basque Country is participating in international forums of reflection on the diaspora of the world.

In this regard, the President stressed: “This is working in a network and actively participating in the transformations we are undergoing.” Urkullu ended his speech by recalling some words of President Agirre: “Everything we do today will be fruitful for the Basque Country of the future; we have worked and will continue to do so in order to continue building, strengthening and expanding the Basque community among all of us,” he concluded.

VIII World Congress of Basque Collectivities Abroad

From today until December 21st, Donostia will host the VIII World Congress of Basque Communities Abroad. There will be 4 days of debate and joint reflection to continue building the Global Basque Community.

This Congress is organized every 4 years, as established by Law 8/1994, on relations with Basque communities abroad in order to strengthen ties between the Basque Institutions and the Basque Communities organised around the Basque Federations and Euskal Etxeak — Basque Centres.

The congress, which begins today, has brought together a hundred people from 18 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, the United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela will be represented.

The Congress is intended to mark the beginning of a new era in relations between Basque public institutions and their diaspora. We are immersed in a period of reflection on the updating of these relations that will allow us, in the medium to long term, to continue implementing policies for the Basque diaspora.