Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little wraps up a "friendship mission" to the Basque country tomorrow, which included a meeting with Basque President Patxi Lopez on Thursday. Little reported that the Basque country pledged to work with Idaho on three initiatives: Creation of a Basque economic development office in Boise; launching a joint Idaho/Basque Renewable Energy Task Force, to meet twice a year; and an agreement to explore additional exchanges in culture and education. "We have 100 years or more of history with the Basque people as a fundamental part of the Idaho fabric," Little said. "In the global economy, we need to foster strong relationships abroad, to access markets and grow our hometown businesses. This link with the Basques is a natural one, and we found a very receptive audience this week."

Little, who went on the trip with Idaho businessmen Mark Rivers and Ed Miller, wasn't traveling at taxpayer expense, his office reported; the trip was entirely funded by contributions from businesses.