Lehendakari Imanol Pradales will lead a Basque delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos from January 21 to 23, becoming the first in his role to attend this gathering of global elites. The aim is to promote Euskadi's reliability and competitiveness to international investors. Spokesperson María Ubarretxena described it as an unparalleled opportunity to position the Basque Country on the world stage.
Euskadi will participate for the first time in the World Economic Forum in Davos, a gathering of global political and economic leaders. Lehendakari Imanol Pradales of the Basque Government will travel to Switzerland from January 21 to 23 at the head of a delegation whose composition will be finalized in the coming days. Spokesperson María Ubarretxena stated, "it is an unparalleled opportunity for our country".
The 56th edition of the forum, under the theme 'Spirit of Dialogue', will draw between 2,500 and 3,000 participants from about 130 countries. Ubarretxena stressed that Davos is a venue for relevant decisions affecting Euskadi, and this attendance advances the territory's international projection strategy. The agenda includes meetings with senior United Nations officials and an event where the UN will present Euskadi as a reference for implementing the 2030 Agenda.
The Basque Government aims to portray Euskadi as a reliable and competitive territory, offering a "stability premium" in the global landscape and its own fiscal regime that provides legal security for investors and companies. Ubarretxena noted: "These elements position Euskadi as a clearly differentiable territory on the international stage, a differentiation that in itself is a competitiveness asset to attract investment, talent, and strategic projects".
Davos, traditionally associated with recognized states, is gaining presence for stateless nations like Euskadi, due to its competencies in areas such as economic development, energy transition, and innovation. Notable attendees include Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and U.S. President Donald Trump, who will arrive with a record delegation of at least five cabinet secretaries.
This trip fits into Pradales' 2026 international agenda. On January 8, he met in Vitoria with Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan to renew a memorandum of understanding, and on January 12, he received Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori at the Palacio de Ajuria Enea for a similar agreement.
