Etxepare Basque Institute at the Congress of the International Organisation of La Francophonie

Every two years, the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) brings together government ministers responsible for culture from French-speaking countries to share experiences and best practices in cultural policy.

Between 22 and 24 May, following meetings and discussions with international representatives, the conference concluded on the 24th with the participation of 93 States under the leadership of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The Basque Country participated for the first time as a special guest at the three-day conference held in Quebec. In attendance were Ibone Bengoetxea, Deputy Prime Minister of the Basque Government and Minister for Culture and Language Policy, and Irene Larraza, Director of the Etxepare Basque Institute.

Bengoetxea explained the Basque Government´s commitment to increasing the presence of the Basque language and culture in the digital sphere, saying that ‘what isn´t on the Internet doesn´t exist for the younger generation’.

In this regard, she described digitalization as an opportunity for cultural diversity to explore new ways of expression, particularly among French-speaking ministers of culture. She also mentioned that the meeting was a chance to compare different cultural models and discuss future challenges.

The representatives from the Basque Country were invited as part of the ‘Ça colle au basque’ project, developed by the Etxepare Basque Institute to promote Basque culture in the French-speaking world, bolster relations with French-speaking nations and increase the presence of the Basque language in French-speaking countries.