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Scotland engaging with EU leaders to protect its place in Europe

LONDON, June 25 (KUNA) -- The Scottish Government is calling for "immediate discussions" with Brussels in a bid to protect its place in Europe after the UK voted out of the EU.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday that her cabinet team had agreed "we will seek to enter into immediate discussions with the EU institutions and other EU member states to explore all possible options to protect Scotland's place in the EU".
To help with that work, she announced an expert group is being set up to advise her on "a number of important matters - legal, financial and diplomatic".
Sturgeon was speaking after a meeting of the Scottish cabinet at her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh, stressing ministers are "determined to act decisively but in a way that builds unity across Scotland about the way forward".
The emergency meeting of Scottish ministers was called after the UK voted to leave the EU by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent.
By contrast, Scotland opted overwhelmingly to be part of the EU by 62 percent to 38 percent - a difference which prompted Sturgeon to declare a second vote on Scottish independence is now ''highly likely''.
The SNP leader confirmed her government will begin to draw up the legislation that could see a fresh vote take place within the next two years.
She stressed "As I said yesterday, a second independence referendum is clearly an option that requires to be on the table and is very much on the table.
"To ensure that that option is a deliverable one within the required timetable, steps will be taken now to ensure that the necessary legislation is in place. Cabinet formally agreed that work." She also sought to reassure Europeans living and working in Scotland, stressing they are "welcome here".
She added: "I want to make sure that that is a message we get across strongly in the weeks and months ahead.
"To that end, I will be inviting the consul generals of all EU member states to a summit here in Bute House over the next two weeks to discuss how we engage with their communities here and make clear how highly we value the contribution they make to Scotland's economy, society and culture." (end) mrn.hm