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Gipuzkoa’s Deputy General, Martin Garitano, welcomed a delegation from Chile made up of local and regional authorities and delegates for the four universities in the country’s second city and site of the National Congress of Chile, at the Provincial Palace yesterday morning.  Garitano was accompanied by the Deputy of Innovation, Rural Development and Tourism, Jon Peli Uriguen, and the deputy of the Provincial Administration and Public Service, Garbiñe Errekondo. 

Donostia-San Sebastian.  According to a note by the Provincial Government, the Deputy General reminded the leaders of the Chilean regional government, the municipality and the universities of Valparaiso of the important ties that bind Euskal Herria to Chile, with 27% of the inhabitants of the region wearing a Basque last name.  Valparaiso and the Fifth Region have a Basque club that stem from the Chilean Basque Center of Mutual Aid that its celebrating its centennial this year.

Omar Morales, representing the Mayor of the Region of Valparaiso, with nearly 2 million habitants, and the Deputy General, Martin Garitano, signed an agreement of collaboration between both territories.  Morales, the region’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Economics, Development and Tourism, stressed the importance of collaboration between the two intermediate governments.

The representatives of Valparaiso were also very interested by the capacity of Gipuzkoan businesses in areas as diverse as transport, industry, food and tourism.  They also wanted to become familiar with waste management systems as well as the environmental and energy policies and so they met with the Provincial deputy of that area, Iñaki Errazkin.

The Chilean delegation will visit this week the Ekogunea Park, Kutxa and will get to know the waste policy in Gipuzkoa.  They will also visit AMPO and Arrasate to be introduced to the cooperative model like that at CAF and various SMEs in Goierri.  They will visit the market in Ordizia with the Secretary General of Agriculture from Valparaiso.  The delegation’s tight schedule will also include a visit to Goieki, the regional development agency in Goierri.

The presence of the four University Presidents that exist in Valparaiso (Catholic University of Valparaíso, University of Valparaíso, Technical University Federico Santamaria and University of the Playa Ancha of Sciences and Education) also allowed the signing of an agreement of collaboration between the University of the Basque Country, the University of Deusto and Mondragon University.

Basque Centennial in Valparaiso

The Valparaiso Basque club has followed with interest, and has indirectly participated in this mission as club president, Archibaldo Uriarte, told EuskalKultura.com.  The Basque club is immersed in activities for the Centennial of the foundation of the first Basque institution in the city.  The club will also send representation to the World Congress of Basque Collectivities that will take place in October in Vitoria-Gasteiz.