Joint initiative launched at Poblet Patronage Board meeting
Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Aragon have agreed to establish the Fòrum Poblet, an annual gathering aimed at fostering mutual collaboration on shared issues. The proposal was made by Catalan President Salvador Illa during the meeting of the Royal Patronage Board of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet on Thursday 15 October 2026. The meeting, hosted at the UNESCO World Heritage site in Tarragona, brought together Illa, Valencian President Juanfran Pérez Llorca, Balearic President Marga Prohens and Aragonese President Jorge Azcón. It marked the first such gathering of regional leaders in around fifteen years.
King Felipe VI calls for cooperation on common challenges
King Felipe VI presided over the event and urged the regional leaders to strengthen cooperation through dialogue. In his address, the monarch highlighted common challenges including water, energy, innovation, sustainability and territorial cohesion. "The enormous potential for cooperation among these territories should be fully realised," the King said, describing Poblet as a "nodal and collaborative structure" and, quoting writer Josep Pla, a "world of forms, traditions and symbols."
Shared history and future collaboration
The four regions, all part of the former Crown of Aragon, reaffirmed their shared cultural and historical ties. Aragonese President Jorge Azcón welcomed the initiative and proposed that Aragon host the next annual meeting. The presidents, along with the abbot of Poblet Monastery, committed to safeguarding the monastery’s future and enhancing regional collaboration. All participants except Azcón alternated between Catalan and Spanish in their remarks.
The Fòrum Poblet will serve as a space for collaboration on matters of mutual interest, building on our shared heritage.
The initiative follows renewed interest in cross-regional cooperation and aims to institutionalise dialogue on economic, environmental and cultural issues. No formal structure or timeline for the forum has yet been announced.
Primary sources: govern.cat, parcsnaturals.gencat.cat, anc.gencat.cat, portaljuridic.gencat.cat. Reported by ACN, elnacional.cat, lavanguardia.com, poblet.cat, Agencia EFE, Europa Press, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, EFE, abc.es, rtve.es, reusdigital.cat.
