First Minister Jack McConnell
has announced that Scotland is to twin with the Australian state of
Victoria in an agreement that will see the two regions collaborating in
areas such as health, education, trade, tourism and social policy.
McConnell is visiting Victorian
capital Melbourne – where the Commonwealth Games are currently being
held - as part of Scotland’s campaign to host the 2014 Commonwealth
Games
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks used the occasion to praise Scotland’s bid for the Games.
“I think it’s a very strong bid,
and it’s one that I think will be received extremely well. We know
that Scotland has a proud track record in conducting the Commonwealth
Games in a number of cities, and I know Glasgow will be a very, very
strong bid for 2014,” he said.
McConnell said that while
Scotland had strong historic links with Victoria, the two areas also
shared common interests in the 21st century which would benefit from
the link.
“Scots have been making the
journey to Australia for over 200 years. Today, at least one in eight
Australians can claim Scottish descent, and the influence of successive
generations of Scots can be seen everywhere – in Australia’s place
names and in its national anthem.
In 2006 these links are as
strong as ever – and the sense of co-operation and goodwill between
Scotland and Victoria develops at every level. Our devolved government
in Scotland shares very similar responsibilities, such as education,
health and criminal justice, as the State government in Victoria,” he
said.
McConnell and Bracks signed the agreement at the site of a major public housing regeneration project in Melbourne.
“Social policy will be a
particular focus of the sister-state agreement and we hope to be able
to share our experiences in this area with the government of Scotland,”
said Bracks
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