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Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu will begin his official agenda on his trip to Quebec and Canada.  He will begin in Montreal with a visit to the Center for the Prevention and Radicalization of Violence, followed by an afternoon conference at the Council of International Relations in Montreal, and a visit with the Basque company Orbinox.  He will also attend a reception at 6pm with the local Basque community and representatives of the Euskaldunak Quebec Basque Association. 

Montreal, Quebec. The Basque Government Delegation led by the Lehendakari left Euskadi yesterday to start this morning in Montreal an agenda of institutional, economic, social and cultural meetings.

Among those accompanying him are the Minister of Economic and Infrastructural Development, Arantxa Tapia, and the Secretary General of Foreign Action, Marian Elorza.  This will be Urkullu’s fifth outing during this legislature beginning in 2016, after trips to Rome Auschwitz, Brussels and Bogota.

Marian Elorza Secretary General of Foreign Action talks about the trip first in Basque and then (at 2' 31'') in Spanish

According the program that was made public by the Lehendakaritza, the Lehendakari will begin the day with a visit to the Prevention of Radicalization of Violence, after which he will make declarations along with the entity’s director. Minister Arantxa Tapia will also hold a meeting at Hydro-Quebec.  At noon, Urkullu will make a presentation at the Conseil of International Relations of Montreal – CORIM.

In the afternoon, Urkullu and Ms. Tapia will visit the Basque company Orbinox and at 6pm there will be a reception at 407 Rue Saint Pierre with the local Basque community and representatives of the Euskaldunak Quebec Basque Association.

According to the Basque Government, Quebec is identified as a priority partner in the Branding Strategy of the Internationalization of Euskadi-Basque Country 2020.  This official trip is part of a scenario of opportunities for Euskadi and Quebec, both in the institutional field, with an agreement between the two Governments, as cultural and economic relations will follow the adoption of the CETA agreement.

Urkullu’s trip is taking place after an intense week, with the political situation in Spain having taken another turn in its relationship with Catalonia, with Lehendkari Urkullu who try to mediate but was not successful.  Urkullu is committed to dialogue and understanding and to a solution to the Catalan crisis with an express rejection of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.  The Lehendakari has shown deep concern for the development of the events and has preferred to wait a few days to gather more information before making a decision on the matter.