A Trump critic, Scotland's Sturgeon says she would meet him

PanARMENIAN.Net - Scotland's leader Nicola Sturgeon, who has been a critic of Donald Trump, said Wednesday, April 5 she would agree to meet the U.S. president and try to build on the already strong relationship between Scotland and the United States, The Associated Press reports.

But the first minister of Scotland said in an interview with The Associated Press that she also strongly believes it's important "to stand up and champion values that we hold dear and not allow a diplomatic silence to get in the way of doing that."

Trump's mother came from the Western Isles and he has often touted his Scottish ancestry. His corporation owns golf resorts in Scotland.

But Sturgeon revoked Trump's honorary status as a business ambassador for Scotland in 2015 after he proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States — and she told the Scottish Parliament in November that she stood by that criticism.

Sturgeon said she has no objection to the golf courses and welcomes U.S. investment.

She stressed, however, that "the fact that Donald Trump owns golf courses in Scotland does not mean that if I disagree with him on a matter of policy or a matter of principle that I will not say that."

"But I would seek to operate in a way that is respectful and constructive," she said.

Sturgeon said she is sure "the president has policy disagreements with me," as he will with many other governments.

But "as first minister of Scotland, I'm not going to decline to meet president Trump," she said.

"What I'm very keen to stress is that regardless of who occupies the office of president or first minister at any given time, the relationship between Scotland and the United States is a strong one," Sturgeon said. "It's very longstanding. It spans family, culture, business, and part of our purpose here in the United States is to strengthen, to build on that relationship."

That relationship, she said, is "more important than any transient policy disagreements between the governments of the two countries."

A strong advocate for gender equality, Sturgeon spoke at a United Nations meeting earlier Wednesday on human rights and the role of women in building peace. She reportedly backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the election and has had no meetings with Trump or his administration during her trip, which she said has focused mainly on strengthening trade and U.S. investment in Scotland.