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Bilbao, Bizkaia.  Journalist Miriam Vazquez interviewed the Director of Basque Communities Abroad, Asier Vallejo, for Deia.

- What was the purpose of the Forum in Dublin?

It is a forum that emanates form the International Alliance of the participation of the Diaspora supported by Hillary Clinton when she became US Secretary of State.  The first forum was organized in Washington DC in May of 2011; the second took place in July of 2012, also in Washington and this year, the third edition as decided from the Department in the US to expand to other cities.  It took place in Washington on the 13^th and 14^th; in the Silicon Valley on the 14^th and the 15^th; and in Dublin on the 14^th and 15^th.  The goal is to bring together a series of experiences of many countries around the world that try to have the closest relationship possible with its Diaspora.

- Were you satisfied with the result?

They were two very intense days of work.  We were with the hosts, the US State Department, the Department of the Exterior and Irish commerce; and with many other countries and regions of the world.  We were the only ones present from Spain and at an international level we got to know the experiences, first hand, fo Israel, Mexico, Scotland…and it is very important to see successful cases that have worked in other countries in order to implement a similar one in Euskadi but now in the short term, or in this case, more in the medium term as soon as the economic situation is more favorable.

- Among these countries, how is Euskadi and its Diaspora perceived?

As far as Euskadi, there is a lot of interest in getting to know the political situation.  From the Irish Ministry of the Exterior we were asked about the political situation and how ETA’s cease fire is being experienced.  The debate on the future of Scotland was also prevalent, and the future of Catalonia and its place in the European Union is being successful, because it is putting the role of Stateless Nations on the table.  As far as the Basque Diaspora, there is growing interest.  Even though there is talk that the Irish Diaspora may reach 70 million people, and that the Basque diaspora is already at 5 million, it is also an important number because it almost duplicates the number of people in the seven territories.  It is very established in Argentina, Uruguay, and the US, and is emerging in China and Japan.

 - Was the Diaspora addressed in any specific way?

The Diaspora has been historically associated with the cultural, but from the Basque Government, we want to take into account the economic and business part. In Ireland or Scotland, they have it clear that it is a very important component in relation to tourism, or the generation of synergies with similar entities to Spri in to attract investments from abroad in the country of origin.  We have the paradigmatic case of Ireland: there is a network called Global Irish, with very important personalities like CEOs, presidents and executives in the Silicon Valley that have their chips placed on everything that has to do with returning to the homeland in the form of creating jobs and attracting investments as a priority. The Irish Government invests a very important part of its budget to the Diaspora in the generation of these synergies.

-Some argue that in times of crisis that it is best to cut items dedicated to the Diaspora

Not so from Scotland’s point of view that has put on the Global Scott network on the table, where they have a number of people in important positions around the world, involved in a series of initiatives on investment returns. In an initiative of this type, our Scottish colleagues say that the return on the investment is at least one to three. I.e., the investment of one euro of public funds in these initiatives has at least a return of 3 euros. From the Basque country don’t have the luxury to miss these opportunities.

 - How is that investment returned?

In the Irish case, there is a series of people whose grandparents immigrated for political or economic reasons to the US, and who are now prospering there and have reached high positions, like the case of President Kennedy, who is Irish, and later had a lot of involvement in the generation of investments.  Many companies, some in technology, have established in Ireland, and also have a component in the Diaspora, who instead of investing in Asia or in Eastern Europe, have deiced to return and give back to their homeland part of what they once had to leave.  This is especially seen in the area of job creation.  There are thousands of initiatives that could not become reality without the investment of Irish businessmen residing in the US, who are investing in creating jobs in Ireland.

- In the last legislature, wasn’t there a scuffle between the Argentina and Chilean Diasporas?  Has that been addressed?

We traveled to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil from April 17-27.  We received a very warm welcome on the part of the Diaspora, and the Basque Government initiatives were received with warmth and interest.  What happened in the past is good to learn from, and everyone can make a mistake, but we need to look at the present and most of all to the future.  We want to stress that both in the Diaspora as in the Basque Country that we are in the same boat.  The department of the Basque Government has been renamed Directorate for the Basque Community Abroad to promote the idea of community.

- What policies will be deployed?

On the one hand, the recovery of the historical memory; my predecessors have done much work that is shown in the collections that the Basque Government have gathered, and now we want to create a digital repository for both researchers and family members to access a range of documents that we can provide there.  WE also want to have more contact with the Diaspora, as decided in 2011.  We will have our first meeting in North America, in Elko, NV on the 4^th of July.  The second weekend of November, coinciding with the Basque National Week, we will travel to Villamaria in Argentina.  There will also be another meeting yet to be determined at the European level.  

 - What does the Diaspora ask of the Government?

They would like to be more involved in the future of Euskadi.  They want to have a say in crucial moments in the history of this country, both politically and economically.  The diaspora is looking forward to helping the Basque Country and have even proposed initiatives.  WE want to lauch initiatives like we’ve seen in Ireland so that in Euskadi, as well as in the Diaspora we understand that if we row this boat that we are in together, that we’ll have more energy.