Nicola Sturgeon intends to present Scotland as an “open and outward-looking country” on a visit to France.
The first minister is going to Paris to address the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of the French parliament. She will also open the Scottish government’s hub office in Paris.
France is the third largest market for Scottish exports. Ms Sturgeon will stress that the relationship between the two nations is one of the oldest in the world. The SNP leader has come under fire for embarking on another trip so soon after a visit to the US and Canada. She visited Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, Ottawa and Toronto this month.
Maurice Golden, the Scottish Tory chief whip, said: “Another week and another jaunt