ALEX Salmond privately lobbied ministers to set up a ‘Scotland Week’ in Iran as part of his drive to build cultural and trade links with the Islamic republic.
The former First Minister, who led an SNP delegation to Tehran in December, also pushed for a trade office to be established in the country as part of a bilateral agreement that would have seen Iran open a similar base in Scotland.
However, the former SNP leader’s requests were rebuffed by the Government he led just 18 months ago, which said it had ‘no plans’ to establish a permanent presence in Iran or to initiate a Scotland Week there.
Read more: Herald View - Alex Salmond and stronger ties with Iran
The US and Canada host Scotland Week every year with a programme of events mainly centred on New York. It typically involves a Tartan Day Parade, a ‘Scotland Run’, and will this year include a ‘wear something tartan pub crawl’ and a cocktail party. Organised by the Scottish Government and its agencies, it is an attempt to capitalise on the huge Scottish diaspora in North America.
The ex-SNP leader has been calling for Scotland to cultivate stronger links with Iran ever since it signed a historic deal over its nuclear programme which means a lifting of sanctions, opening up the Middle East’s second largest economy.
While foreign investment quango Scottish Development International (SDI) also sent a delegation to Iran in December and made a return visit earlier this month, it focused on the oil and gas industry while Mr Salmond is championing an expansion into other sectors.
Documents released under Freedom of Information reveal that the former SNP leader, in a meeting with SDI in February, said officials should ‘look to extend its reach’ to education and agriculture and also seek to develop cultural links.
He put forward his Scotland Week and trade office plans and it was suggested that the SNP delegation and particularly MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who travelled with Mr Salmond to Iran, could assist with future SDI missions.
In March he held a meeting with Fiona Hyslop, the SNP cabinet secretary for external affairs, to discuss the visit. Mr Salmond repeated his plans and also suggested a ministerial mission to Iran and a ‘graduate conference’ of influential Iranian alumni of Scottish universities to “allow Scotland to figure more prominently with these ex-graduates.”
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Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said it appeared that Mr Salmond had launched “a full blown attempt to circumvent official channels and set up a shadow foreign office based in Strichen.”
He added: “Mr Salmond has no official role in the Scottish or UK Governments. Officials will need to be careful that indulging him in this way doesn’t get in the way of official diplomatic efforts in what remains a hugely challenging and complex part of the world.”
Following Mr Salmond’s trip, he submitted a report to SNP ministers in which he revealed that senior figures in Iran “recognise Scotland as separate to the rest of the United Kingdom” and believe Iran and Scotland share a connection that goes “beyond economic ties”.
However, the Scottish Government apparently sees Iran as less of a priority, with the country mentioned only once in a recently published 17,000 word document outlining its global investment strategy for the next five years.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said it was content for SDI to use its ‘operational judgement’ over who it worked with to support its overseas activity.
She added: “The Scottish Government has no plans to establish an SDI or other presence in Iran at this time. SDI reviews it overseas footprint in the context of trade and investment priorities. It would be for the Government of Iran to decide whether it wants to establish an office in Scotland. The Scottish Government has no plans to initiate a Scotland Week in Tehran.
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“The Scottish Government and its agencies regularly meet with MSPs and MPs. We also believe that drawing on the experience and expertise of former ministers can make a significant contribution to policy development.”
After the Scottish Government response was put to Mr Salmond’s press officer, a spokesman for Ms Hyslop issued an unsolicited second, more positive statement. He said Mr Salmond’s delegation had made “some ambitious and specific proposals” that would not be implemented at the moment, but “may well become appropriate” as a “new and exciting relationship with Iran develops”.
Mr Salmond said that as Foreign Affairs spokesman for Westminster’s third-largest party, he and his team had access to “key international figures” such as Iran’s foreign minister, who he met on his trip to the Middle East.
He added: “That can help bring about great opportunities for Scotland in trade and investment, opportunities which I know SDI will make the most of. It also has already resulted in Iranian support for Bill Kidd MSP’s advocacy of the inter parliamentary campaign against nuclear weapons.
“In contrast, Willie Rennie’s ‘gang of five’ has been demoted to fifth place in the Scottish Parliament. He has as much chance of meeting the foreign minister of Iran as he has of meeting the Tsar of all the Russias.”
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