Scotland to forge links with administration of Basque Country

SCOTLAND and the Basque region of Spain are to share their expertise in areas such as education, climate change and the economy.

A formal partnership agreement between the two administrations is expected to be signed in the near future.

The move follows a meeting in Bilbao last week between First Minister Alex Salmond and Basque Country president Patxi Lopez.

Salmond said both areas had much to offer each other. "By sharing our knowledge, both nations can gain from this new relationship," he said. "Scotland's world-leading role in renewable energy development provides the certainty - not least in terms of business investment - over Scotland's low-carbon future.

"President Lopez has expressed interest in working with us to identify areas where the Basque Country can work with us for mutual economic and environmental benefit, and we look forward to agreeing a memorandum of understanding."