- The Vice-president and Minister of Labour and Employment, Idoia Mendia, signed the document today at the headquarters of the Higher Council of Cooperatives of the Basque Country.
- This Agreement of Intent and Collaboration is an instrument of public-private collaboration to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Basque economy.
The Higher Council of Co-operatives of the Basque Country, the Basque Confederation of Cooperatives (Konfekoop) and the Basque Government have today ratified their commitment to the development of the cooperative culture, with the signing of a new Agreement of Intent and Collaboration.
The Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Employment, Idoia Mendia, the President of the Higher Council, Patxi Olabarria, and the President of Konfekoop, Rosa Lavín, have signed this document, the aim of which is to join forces to contribute to the economic and social development of the Basque Country by promoting cooperative enterprises as essential agents for this.
The Agreement seeks close collaboration in the institutional representation of the Basque Cooperative Movement, the promotion of new businesses and employment in the cooperative sphere, as well as the promotion of inter-cooperation and financial instruments, and the development and training of people. It also seeks to raise awareness of Basque cooperativism, the development of cooperative culture and the strengthening of the Higher Council of Cooperatives in the Basque Country.
With this instrument of public-private collaboration, the Basque Government and the Basque Co-operative Movement are seeking to achieve a shared goal: to integrate economic growth with the integral development of the individual, thereby contributing to the construction of a more sustainable and cohesive society.
This Agreement of Intent and Collaboration is the third to be signed in the history of the Higher Council in its 40-year history. The previous ones date from 2005 and 2014, so this new document represents an update and adaptation to the current social and economic situation.
Both Kooperatiben Kontseilua and Konfekooop will continue to contribute, through the promotion and dissemination of cooperativism, to increasing opportunities that enable people to create sustainable enterprises that generate jobs and long-term prosperity, based on values and principles that prioritise justice and equality.
The Basque Cooperative Movement has also placed its international networks at the disposal of the Basque Government with the aim of adding value to the international projection of the Basque Country, promoting Basque Country and thus fostering relations of interest that can attract new projects to the Basque Country.
