Alex Salmond seeks to reassure Americans on Scottish independence

First Minister Alex Salmond has told an American audience that Scotland’s international partnerships would remain unchanged in the event of independence.

Mr Salmond said the nation’s alliances with the US and other nations would endure while Scotland would become an independent and active member of organisations, ranging from the European Union and the United Nations to Nato.

The First Minister was giving a speech at the public policy organisation the Brookings Institution in Washington DC as part of a visit to the US to strengthen economic links, discuss Scotland’s constitutional future and mark the friendship between the two countries.

Mr Salmond told his audience that the SNP’s policy to join Nato demonstrated its commitment to working closely with its allies.