Nicola Sturgeon hails Scotland-US tie as she meets John Kerry's No 2.

The pair discussed topics including the outcome of May's UK general election and the forthcoming in/out referendum on Britain's European Union membership.

Speaking after the meeting, a spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said: "This was a warm, friendly and constructive meeting between the First Minister and deputy secretary of state in which the long-standing ties between Scotland and the USA were reaffirmed.

"The First Minister and deputy secretary Blinken discussed a range of issues - including the outcome of the UK general election and the new political landscape in Scotland, the economy, the Scottish Government's support for continued membership of the EU and wider shared cultural, economic and social interests."

On the third day of her US visit, Ms Sturgeon also delivered a speech on the topic of economy and equality to an audience at the World Bank.

The First Minister said Scotland faced "significant challenges" in dealing with the legacy of the recession, creating quality job opportunities and adapting to an ageing population.

She said: "Scotland, like many countries, faces an apparent paradox.

"Deep inequalities exist in our society - reflected in reduced educational outcomes, poorer health and lower life expectancy.

"But we also know that Scotland is a wealthy nation. We have vast economic potential and many economic success stories."

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government's economic strategy was focused on increasing competitiveness and tackling inequality.

She said: "We want to increase our competitiveness to boost our GDP per head. And we also want to create a fairer society with a better distribution of income.

"And what we increasingly recognise is that those two challenges - of competitiveness and equality - aren't separate issues. They are connected. We would have an even more competitive economy, if we had a fairer society.

"We're investing in the innovation and infrastructure which is essential to future productivity growth. But as part of that, we're also creating an inclusive society - one which harnesses the talents of all of our people, and which shares the benefits of growth more equally.

"We're pretty confident that we're on the right path, but we also know that we have a huge amount to learn."

Earlier the First Minister met John B. King Jr, deputy secretary of the US department of education, to discuss approaches to tackling the attainment gap in schools.

She then joined Dr Katie Wilson, deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, on a visit to Takoma Park Middle school in Maryland.

Ms Sturgeon said: "I was delighted to meet with both John B King Jr and Dr Katie Wilson who are leading the work in the US in improving education and the health of American school children.

"Governments have a role in ensuring that every young person has the best start in life and we know that while a good education system is important we must also provide the right support for their health and well-being at an early age.

"The US and Scotland have already forged a strong working relationship and are committed to doing all we can to support the development of our young people and tackle inequalities in our society."

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon has suggested that post-NICOLA Sturgeon has suggested that post-war West Germany will provide the latest foreign economic blueprint for Scotland to emulate in a major speech at the World Bank.

The First Minister, on the third day of her tour of the United States, said that "Rhine capitalism" had succeeded in combining strong growth with social protections for workers.

Previously, the SNP has embraced a 'Celtic tiger' model adopted in Ireland, which would involve attracting businesses by slashing corporate tax rates. Former leader Alex Salmond has also advocated Scotland joining a northern European 'arc of prosperity' including Iceland. The rhetoric was dropped after both the Irish and Icelandic economies hit the buffers in the wake of the recession.

However, Ms Sturgeon said that the economy she was now aiming to create was in some ways similar to the 70-year-old West German model, which emerged following the devastation of the Second World War.

She said: "West Germany developed what became known as Rhine capitalism. It encouraged competitive markets, but combined them with strong social protections. It instilled a strong sense of partnership between workers, trade unions, businesses and public sector. As a result, the German economy has been characterised by innovation, high productivity and strong exports.

"What we're aiming to create in Scotland is in some ways similar. We're investing in the innovation and infrastructure which is essential to future productivity growth. But as part of that, we're also creating an inclusive society - one which harnesses the talents of all of our people, and which shares the benefits of growth more equally.