Arnaldo Otegi to visit Dublin, London and Brussels in European tour

BASQUE pro-independence leader Arnaldo Otegi begins a five-day tour of Ireland, England and Belgium during which he will meet international figures such as former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair's former chief of staff, Jonathan Powell. Otegi will also address the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Dublin on Saturday.

Both Ahern and Powell were among the international leaders who attended the International Conference of Aiete in 2011. Otegi will take advantage of this trip to personally pass on his thanks for their support to the process of conflict resolution.

The Basque leader will address the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Dublin, where he is expected to meet both Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and during which he will pay tribute to the men and women who took part in the 1916 Rising.

During his trip, Arnaldo Otegi will give a lecture in an event organised by the All Political Party Group in Conflict issues at Westminster's House of Commons to discuss the challenges and lessons to be learnt from The Unconventional Peace Process in the Basque Country.

To conclude, Otegi will be a guest speaker in the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Basque Friendship Group in the European Parliament, where he will also be received in the meetings of the parliamentary groups of the GUE/NGL and ALE.

The agenda is completed by several informal meetings with Basque communities in Dublin and Brussels.

The Basque Peace Process website reports:

“Otegi will take to Europe a message of peace and of respect for the rights of Basque people. In that sense, the independence leader will stress the need for Europe to have a new state based on social justice parameters.”