Minister Mikel Jauregi is leading a Basque Government institutional and business mission to Japan and Taiwan.

• A visit to the commercial office of the Euskadi Foreign Network in Tokyo marked the beginning of a series of meetings with economic actors and institutions with the goal of building relations between Japan, Taiwan and the Basque Country and attracting potential investments.

• "We believe that strengthening relations with Japan and Taiwan is crucial for them to be aware of the Basque Country's leading capabilities in technology and industry," Jauregi emphasised.

The Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, is leading an institutional and business mission of the Basque Government to Japan and Taiwan this week. The Asia-Pacific region is of particular interest to the Basque Country and its trade relations, as this area is set to account for the greatest economic growth in the future in most of the Basque Country's strategic sectors (energy, renewables, electricity grids, machine tools and telecommunications).

Jauregi commenced his trip with a visit to the Basque Government's commercial office in Tokyo, where he was received by the office's director, Moe Kato. He was able to gain valuable insight into the crucial work conducted by the office in identifying key contacts that drive business growth and opportunities for Basque companies operating in Japan or seeking to expand their presence in the country, as well as Japanese companies with interests in the Basque Country.

The Minister was also invited to a meeting of the Taiwan Global Cherry Friendship Social Foundation, comprising business leaders with strengthening ties between Taiwan and Japan. A delegation from this organisation visited the Basque Country two weeks ago to gain insight into the region's technological and industrial capabilities. The visit was organised with a view to analysing the possibility of making future investments. The delegation was received by President of the Basque Country Imanol Pradales. At the Sakura Foundation assembly, Jauregi received Basque presidential recognition from Akie Abe, widow of Shinzo Abe, who held the Prime Minister’s office in Japan from 2012 to 2020 Mrs Abe, accompanied by Frank Chang-ting Hsieh, Chief Advisor to the President of Taiwan, will be undertaking a visit to the Basque Country in December. The purpose of the visit is to carry out a ceremonial planting of a cherry tree as a sign of brotherhood between the Basque Country, Japan and Taiwan.

To conclude the Japan trip, Mikel Jauregi attended the inauguration of the new office of the Basque company Grupo Talde, together with its president, Jose Mari Zalbidegoitia. Talde is a pioneering business group in private equity management in Spain. It has a solid and diversified portfolio of investee and financed companies, comprising 22 business groups with a presence in various sectors. The group has sales more than €1 billion in more than 40 countries and employs more than 2,000 people. As part of the international growth strategy, the new office in Japan serves to reaffirm commitment to this initiative. Furthermore, it was revealed last week that Kutxabank has acquired a 70% stake in Talde to acquire more sophisticated financial instruments to facilitate the growth of the financial sector in the Basque Country.

Mikel Jauregi will be undertaking a visit to Taiwan in the coming days to continue his programme of institutional and economic meetings.