INDEPENDENCE Day has come early for Alex Salmond – with a reception to mark the anniversary of the United States' independence from Great Britain.
The First Minister, who hopes to mark Scotland's own independence day in 2014, was invited to a reception at the US Consulate in Edinburgh last night.
The US Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress on July 2, 1776, although it was not formally adopted until two days later, with celebrations across the US every July 4 to mark the event.
Mr Salmond has hailed the document's links with the Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland's own declaration of independence in 1320, and praised the work of outgoing US consulate principal officer Dana Linnet.
Speaking ahead of the reception, Mr Salmond said that the "unique relationship" between Scotland and the US was now "stronger than ever".
"This week, 236 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, US citizens will celebrate the most important date in their calendar," he said. "There is a special connection to Scotland in that the US Senate has acknowledged the profound influence of Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath in shaping the US's own Declaration. Scotland is a strong friend and partner to the United States, and I saw this first-hand only recently when I visited the west coast on a trade mission to develop business investment links.
"Together we will continue to further strengthen our strong ancestral, historical, cultural and commercial ties in ways that will benefit our friendship and co-operation in years to come."
The First Minister has thanked Ms Linnet, the US Government's official representative in Scotland, for her service ahead of her departure to take up a post in the US State Department in Washington DC.
Mr Salmond said: "Dana, who is dean of the Edinburgh and Leith Consular Corp, has been a good friend both of and to Scotland, and has managed relationships between Edinburgh, London and Washington skilfully."
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