Basque Government expects to open three branches abroad

The Basque Government plans to open three new branches abroad for the year 2010, one of them in Paris, France, as the Foreign Action secretary, Iñaki Aguirre, announced. Aguirre made the announcement at an informative breakfast organised to introduce the seven delegates of the Basque Country abroad, as they will participate in the World Congress of Basque Communities at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, from July 9 to 13.

Aguirre added that one of the three Basque branches the Government expects to set up will be located in Paris next year, while in 2009 and 2010 one will be opened in the United Kingdom and another in Berlin, Germany. Aguirre assured that the reasons why Euskadi is moving abroad are its political will, learning, solidarity and defence of Basque interests, because, as he explained, the 70 percent of Basque production is exported abroad and "that is why we must be there."

Aguirre said that the duties of the Basque branches are especially to help small and medium size firms or big firms that need to carry out market analysis, find partners or contact country institutions for business. He made it clear that branches "will be neither consulates nor travel agencies," although they will help any Basque traveller who meets some problem.

Iñaki Aguirre also explained that choosing a country as the location of a new branch depends on political, sector, learning or solidarity criteria, and not on the number of Basques in a certain area.

The delegate in Chile, Jon Edorzia, in turn, noted that the duties of Basque branches are mainly centred on helping Basque businessmen that want to start their own business, as well as on organising institutional and cultural events.