FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is putting the case for Scotland to be allowed to stay in the EU, in a meeting with the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
The president has said he wouldn't interfere in UK politics, while the French president and Spanish prime minister have both said they are opposed to the EU negotiating potential membership for Scotland.
The First Minister and the president warmly greeted each other as they began talks in Brussels.
Ms Sturgeon was told by European Council president Donald Tusk that a meeting with Mr Juncker would not be appropriate at this time.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with Ms Sturgeon, Mr Juncker said: "Scotland won the right to be heard in Brussels so I will listen carefully to what the first minister will tell me.
.@JunckerEU now: "I'll listen to @NicolaSturgeon. #Scotland won their right to be heard in #Brussels".
— Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) June 29, 2016
"But we don't have the intention, neither Donald Tusk nor myself, to interfere in an inner British process that is not our duty and this is not our job."
Sturgeon has said that Scotland, where voters backed staying in the EU by a near 2-1 majority, must not be dragged out of the EU against its will. She wants to negotiate directly with Brussels to protect the membership rights of Scots.
FM @NicolaSturgeon also this morning met President of the @Europarl_EN, @MartinSchulz in Brussels. pic.twitter.com/tWfw9AANoQ
— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) June 29, 2016
Ms Sturgeon sounded a cautious note when she met the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, earlier on Wednesday.
"This is very much an initial meeting, a series of meetings in Brussels today, so that people understand that Scotland, unlike other parts, of the United Kingdom does not want to leave the European Union," she said.
FLASHBACK: The pair met two years ago when the First Minister raised concerns about the effect Brexit would have on Scotland
The First Minister had talks with Mr Juncker in June, in June last year, when she warned of a "strong backlash" if Scotland were to be taken out of the EU by a UK-wide referendum.
Be in no doubt Nicola meeting President Juncker is huge - EU sending v clear signal that they are prepared to engage with Scotland directly
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) June 29, 2016
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