Government of the Canary Islands and eAtlantic Foundation explore avenues of cooperation to strengthen the Atlantic seaboard within the European context

Gobierno de Canarias y Fundación eAtlantic abordan vías de cooperación para fortalecer la fachada atlántica en el contexto europeo

Government of the Canary Islands and eAtlantic Foundation explore avenues of cooperation to strengthen the Atlantic seaboard within the European context

November 13, 2025 eAtlantic Comments Off

• Fernando Clavijo and Iñigo Urkullu agree on addressing the challenge of migration and promoting, among other sectors, renewable energies, maritime and air connectivity, and sustainable development

The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the President of the eAtlantic Foundation, Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, held a working meeting this Thursday to examine various lines of cooperation aimed at enhancing the role of the Atlantic seaboard within the European context and strengthening the ties between the territories that share this geostrategic space.

The meeting, held at the seat of the regional government, was also attended by the Deputy Minister of the President’s Office, Octavio Caraballo, and the Director General of eAtlantic, Marian Elorza. Particular attention was given to reinforcing the role of the archipelago in the mid-Atlantic and consolidating its position as a European platform for connection with West Africa.

During the meeting, the Canary Islands President and Urkullu shared an Atlantic vision that fosters cooperation among regions and countries in order to address, on the one hand, challenges such as migration, and on the other, to harness shared potential in areas including renewable energies, the blue economy, research, maritime and air connectivity, innovation, and sustainable development.

In this context, President Clavijo stressed that the Canary Islands “occupy a unique position in the mid-Atlantic, as a meeting point between Europe, Africa and America, and must capitalise on this role to strengthen cooperation policies, promote sustainable development and project the Atlantic leadership of Europe’s regions.”

For his part, Iñigo Urkullu highlighted the Foundation’s work in identifying strategic, large-scale Atlantic projects that foster cooperation among the territories of the European Atlantic seaboard. He also underlined the objective of aligning strategies and investments with the EU agenda, thereby promoting greater territorial cohesion and more active participation of the territories in the design of European policies.

In this framework, the President of eAtlantic invited the Government of the Canary Islands to fully engage in this collaborative dynamic, emphasising the role of the archipelago as a strategic hub with West Africa. He further stressed the importance of moving towards shared governance structures that enable Atlantic regions to jointly face future challenges and seize opportunities for sustainable development in the mid-Atlantic area.

Likewise, the head of the Canary Islands Government reaffirmed his commitment to actively participate in initiatives that contribute to a more cohesive governance of the Atlantic seaboard, and to make the most of this space as a “driver of opportunities on both shores.”

Since its creation, the eAtlantic Foundation has been promoting the consolidation of a European Atlantic macro-region with its own voice before EU institutions, where participating regions can play a decisive role in strategic matters. This framework would foster policy and investment coordination among Atlantic regions and ensure their alignment with the European Union’s priorities.