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Basque government spokeswoman Idoia Mendia explained on Tuesday that the Executive''s alternative plan to the Guggenheim extension project in Urdaibai proposes an infrastructure that will contribute to the propagation of Basque culture. She also emphasized that this alternative would have to respect the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on Monday.

Speaking during a press conference prior to the weekly governmental session, Mendia confirmed that Basque President Patxi Lopez would be advising of his Government''s position on the issue during a meeting with the Board of the Guggenheim Foundation, being held on Tuesday afternoon.

Mendia reiterated that the Government is not keen on the project to build an additional Guggenheim in Urdaibai, though they were in agreement with the Biscay Municipal Council on the need to make the area more "economically dynamic". Last Thursday, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York concluded that the project was "an excellent opportunity".

The Government''s idea is for a cultural infrastructure which would also be in keeping with the need to protect Urdaibai''s Biosphere Reserve, something which the Executive fears current museum extension plans could jeopardize. The cultural space should be used to "encourage creativity and Basque culture," but not in the form of a museum, specified Mendia.

Concrete figures have still not been mentioned, though the Government spokeswoman has assured that Parliament "does not wish to risk" all its investment in culture on one single project.