The 21st edition of the Seminario de las Dos Navarras took place in Auritz-Burguete, with Vice President Ana Ollo highlighting the need to preserve the Basque language, known as euskera, alongside the culture and history that bind the people of Navarra across the Pyrenees.
During the seminar's closing session, Ollo reiterated the commitment of the Government of Navarra to strengthen ties between the communities on either side of the mountains, which share a rich historical and cultural heritage. She noted that despite challenges, these territories have maintained a relationship of mutual respect and appreciation, having once been part of the same state, the Kingdom of Navarra.
Ollo emphasised the significance of euskera as a common link and advocated for transboundary cooperation, which she views as strategically beneficial for the Foral Community and its socio-economic agents. The Government of Navarra is actively involved in the Eurorregion Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarra and the Pyrenees Working Community. In 2025, it renewed the Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a key component of the II Action Plan for External Relations, titled 'Navarra Transfronteriza'.
The seminar was initiated by Sergio Pérez, the Director General of External Action, and featured participation from Unai Irigaray, the Mayor of Auritz-Burguete, and Pascal Goñi, President of the Terres de Navarre-Nafarroako Lurraldeak association. Organised by the Government of Navarra in collaboration with major municipalities in Lower Navarra and cultural entities like Terres de Navarre, the seminar aims to strengthen cross-border ties and share historical and cultural knowledge between the two regions.
This year's event included presentations from experts on various topics. Nicolás Zuazúa Wegener and Carlos Zuza Astiz, archaeologists from Tesela Arqueología, discussed 'The Pyrenean Border during the Civil War and Post-War: The P Line'. Alexandre Dupont, a history professor at the University of Paris Créteil, presented 'Following the Footsteps of a 19th Century Smuggler: A Historical Investigation of Ganix de Macaye'. The session concluded with Iñaki Camino Lertxundi, a professor of Basque Philology at the UPV, who spoke on 'Euskara on Both Sides of the Border'.
