Scotland has created a cooperation agreement with the French region of Brittany in an effort to "strengthen the country's position as a leader in Europe’s offshore renewables industry".
The Scottish Government has signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Brittany, the first of its kind for Scotland with a region in France.
The MOU will provide Scottish companies with opportunities to capitalise and share best practices on the expansion of offshore wind projects off the coast of Brittany.
A delegation of 15 Scottish companies – supported by Scottish Development International - recently met representatives from Brittany’s offshore wind sector to discuss future collaboration.
The MOU will also instigate a programme of actions that will cover institutional relations, culture and heritage, education and research, fisheries and diaspora.
Separately, the Scottish Government signed the Rennes Declaration, which will build on existing cultural, historical and linguistic bonds with Brittany, Ireland, Wales and the Spanish Region of Galicia.
The forum will also be an opportunity to discuss collaboration with other partners such as Cornwall and the Spanish Region of Asturias.
Shona Robison, Deputy First Minister, said: “Scotland is working with our partners in Europe and this MOU and Declaration will help us collaborate across a range of topics.
“The people of Scotland resoundingly rejected Brexit, yet it has caused significant adverse impacts to our economy and trade relations. In spite of this, the Scottish Government remains firmly committed to developing partnerships with our European neighbours.
“We are keen to maximise opportunities for Scottish companies to learn from our Celtic partners as we look towards a future with cleaner, greener energy.”
Michael Hook, business development director of Swift Anchors, based in Edinburgh said that "the agreement between the two governments gives us further encouragement to our business efforts in Brittany".
Lidl submits bid to open megastore
Supermarket chain Lidl has submitted plans for a new store in a Scots town.
The move would see the demolition of the former Evans Halshaw car showroom and construction of the supermarket on Almond Road in the Craigshall area of Livingston. It would become the second Lidl store in the West Lothian town.
'Encouraging rise' in shopper footfall
There has been an encouraging rise in the number of shoppers browsing through stores in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK, according to the latest figures analysed by the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).
The trade association said overall Scottish footfall was up 5.9% in July from last year – 6.8 percentage points better than June and higher than the UK average increase of 1.8%.
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