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The Secretary of State met UK and French businesses as well as the French Trade Minister, diplomatic staff and parliamentarians. He visited the channel to see how they have used tweed and other Scottish materials throughout their history, including their latest series. And he co-hosted a St Andrew’s Night dinner with the British Ambassador to France, Dame Menna Rawlings.
Scottish Secretary Alastair Jack said:
Scotland and France have historic and enduring links and St Andrew’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate and strengthen these ties.
The 100-year-old creative partnership between Paris’ Chanel fashion house and Scotland’s beautiful Tweed is a fantastic example of that relationship, and it was interesting to hear more about it.
The UK and France are important trading partners and we must build on that. The French market is worth billions to Scottish businesses, with huge potential for growth. In Paris I was working hard to promote Scottish businesses, as the UK Government does every day, around the world.
Total trade in goods and services [exports plus imports] The value between the UK and France is £78.3 billion annually. Scotland’s exports to France are worth around £3 billion a year, ranging from whiskey to renewable energy expertise. The Secretary of State hosted a lunch for French businesses representing these sectors, as well as a meeting with the French government’s Minister of International Trade, Olivier Becht.
The UK government has one of the largest diplomatic networks in the world. It is committed to promoting Scottish interests in foreign policy, security, defence, international trade, investment, culture, education and the arts – as well as providing vital consular support.
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