Stephen Gethins

SINCE very earliest times, Scotland has influenced and been influenced by the world around it. Foreign policy and our relationships with the other nations of the world have always been important in shaping Scotland, impacting our lives and driving domestic politics. Even today the debate over Scotland’s future and the current cost of living crisis are being shaped by events beyond our borders. All politics may be local but they are shaped internationally.

SINCE the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 successive First Ministers, and other members of their administrations, have travelled and undertaken meetings overseas as an integral part of their work. This has been an important task for ministers as they seek to influence international partners, promote Scotland and encourage investment. This was not new and even before the devolved era Conservative Scottish Office Ministers would engage internationally to boost trade and influen

JUST more than 20 years ago, I set out for Tbilisi, Georgia for a new job in the NGO sector working on arms control and peace-building. It was the start of a wonderful period of life working across the former Soviet Union, including the countries of the South Caucasus, Ukraine, and Russia among others.

Independence would bring benefits such as a Foreign Ministry, membership of the UN and international recognition. That would be my preference of course but even without independence an enhanced role for Scotland can be achieved within the Union.

SITTING at the far south-eastern corner of Europe at the opposite end of our continent from Scotland are the Caucasus mountains.

NEXT year will bring the most important election since I joined the SNP in Perth 27 years ago – there is too much at stake to sit this out and that is why I am seeking to become the party’s candidate for Holyrood for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.

IN the aftermath of the Battle of Stirling Bridge we know that one of the first acts of the new Guardians of Scotland, William Wallace and Andrew Murray, was to write the Lubeck letter, telling our European partners that Scotland was once again open for business.

ONLY a few short weeks ago the British ambassador in Belgrade travelled to the nearby city of Kragujevac to join with other diplomats, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local officials in marking the 105th anniversary of the death of the Scottish doctor Dr Elizabeth Ross.

LOSING your job is never a pleasant experience for anyone. Losing it on stage in the early hours of the morning in a sports hall full of hundreds of people and in front of a live TV audience of millions is a pretty surreal experience.

LAST week’s European elections provided yet more evidence, were any required, of the divergence in UK politics. Outside Scotland the Brexit Party’s victory was depressingly predictable with the map turning light blue across England and even much of Wales.