International network: annual report 2023-2024

Foreword by Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

It is a great pleasure to present this second annual report on the work of Scotland’s international network. The Scottish Parliament asked us to prepare such a report, showing how our activity overseas contributes to delivering our international objectives and supporting our priorities at home. This report does that, both qualitatively by presenting case studies on the work teams in our international offices have undertaken during 2023-24 to deliver for Scotland; and quantitatively, drawing on trade and investment figures from Scottish Development International (SDI).

Since we published the first annual report^[1] on the international network, we have also introduced Scotland’s International Strategy, an action-driven strategic framework to focus our international activity around three themes: economy, trade and investment; climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and reputation, influence and relationships. As the Strategy was published in January 2024, in the final quarter of the reporting year 2023-24, this report lays the groundwork for a combined report next year looking back at 2024-25.

This year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Scottish Government office in Brussels, at the heart of the EU. Opened in 1999 with the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament, officials of the then-Scottish Executive joined Scottish Enterprise (SE) colleagues who had been operating Scotland Europa since 1992. That built on a Scottish presence in Brussels that was established in 1979, by the then-Scottish Development Agency. Our team there has served Scottish Office, Scottish Executive and Scottish Government Ministers for 45 years in various guises and continue to do a vital job keeping Scotland’s voice heard and promoting Scotland’s interests among our European neighbours.

As our international network has grown in the years since, Scotland House Brussels remains the only overseas office we operate ourselves. Our offices in other countries are all based in the British Embassy or High Commission, where Scottish Government and SDI teams work closely with their UK Government counterparts, just as equivalent officials from Wales and Northern Ireland do. These positive and collaborative working relationships at post help to achieve our shared goals: to attract inward investment to Scotland, promote Scottish goods and services in overseas markets, connect with our global diaspora and share in Scotland’s culture, and show leadership and solidarity in the green transition.

Rt Hon Angus Robertson MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture