The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, presented Euskadi this Monday to Japanese institutions and companies as a "serious, reliable and competitive partner", within the tour that he has been presiding over in the Japanese country since last week. The Basque leader was in charge of opening the Business Leader Summit, the main event on the agenda of the Basque delegation in Japan, and spoke before around 70 Basque and Japanese companies, in the presence of the Vice Minister of Commerce, Economy and Industry of Japan , Nobuhiro Yoshida.
Basque companies and entities such as Cikautxo, Ampo, el cluster de la Energía, BBVA, Mondragon Internacional, Idom, Iberdrola Renovables, Sener, Petronor, Ikerlan, Irizar Forge, Codex Corporation, Ditrel, Nervión Naval Offshore, Reka, H2SITE are participating in the day. , Hine, HWS, Kimua, Kitz Corporation, Liftra, Maier, Saitec Offshore Technologies, Tecnalia o Siemens Gamesa.
In addition to the Basque representation in this event, more than thirty companies, entities and administrations from the Japanese country participate, among others, Mitsubishi Corporation, Tepco Renewable Power, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Japan Renewable Energy, Kawasaki Heavy Industry and Osaka Gas, as well as the Prefectures of Fukushima, , Mie and Toyama.
Within the framework of this event, the Lehendakari has expressed his satisfaction at being able to receive such a large representation of Japanese and Basque companies and institutions, and has expressed his gratitude to both the Japanese companies and the Vice Minister of Economy, the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Asian country, as well as the rest of the authorities present. Along with Urkullu, the Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment, Arantxa Tapia, and the Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Consumption, Javier Hurtado, also attended.
Iñigo Urkullu has highlighted that Japan, in an analysis by the competitive intelligence unit of "Basque Trade
In this sense, he stressed that Japan is one of the "priority" countries in the Basque Government's Internationalization Strategy 2021-2024. According to him, from an economic point of view, the reasons are "clear" and he has cited his GDP; the size and innovative profile of its industry; its technological leadership; the compatibility with Basque economic sectors or the potential of Japan as a way to access markets in the area.
Urkullu has indicated that, for all this, they have decided to make an effort to intensify bilateral relations and help Japanese and Basque companies "know about mutual opportunities."
The Lehendakari pointed out that, with this event, they want to awaken interest in the Basque Country and be able to generate relations between Japanese and Basque companies "in the short term."
"We are a serious country, of serious and hard-working people. Who say and do, people of their word. The industry is inscribed in our DNA. It is our past, present and we are committed to it also being our future. We are a country with an ancient culture who loves the avant-garde. We face the green, digital and social transformations with confidence and optimism," he noted.
Since last Thursday, Lehendakari Urkullu has led a Basque delegation with an intense agenda that has led them to meetings around Basque culture and Basque language (at the Basque culture lectureship at the University of Tokyo); in relation to digital transformation (meeting with the Minister of State on this matter); about the field of Tourism; or in relation to Historical Memory (Urkullu has met with the mayor of Hiroshima and the Kids Gernika exhibition has been inaugurated), among other initiatives. In any case, most of the agenda has been aimed at intensifying relations in economic matters and the Business Leader Summit this Monday was the main event.
