Europe and Foreign Affairs
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Scotland's place in the world and how we are represented in Europe and beyond is a crucial question and one which requires serious consideration.
Today I was in Brussels to meet with European Commission officials, representatives of Member States and expat Scots on the day we launched our paper Europe and Foreign Affairs: taking our National Conversation forward.
What is clear is that there are many views on how Scotland should and could operate within an international context to best represent our needs.
For my part, I am clear that we must have a strong independent voice in Europe to ensure our position is always presented at the negotiating table; unfiltered and undiluted. There has been significant progress in Scotland since this Government came to power and ten years on from the creation of the Scottish Parliament it is very clear that further change is now needed.
This paper sets out options for Scotland's role within Europe and the international community and seeks to highlight the opportunities and responsibilities which Scotland, moving towards independence, could enjoy. It identifies the current problems we face in participating fully in the international community, and the solutions that would enable Scotland's voice to be heard loud and clear.
Scotland is, and will continue to be, part of the European Union.
An independent Scotland would be recognised as a state in its own right by the international community and would become a full member of the United Nations and other international bodies, such as the Commonwealth, the World Health Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organisation.
We would be able to develop our own foreign policy to promote Scotland's interests internationally, and engage with other states as an equal partner. This would indeed strengthen our position and allow Scottish views to be directly represented to deliver the best results for Scotland.
Read the full paper