Denmark’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union: congratulatory letter
Letter from External Affairs Secretary to Denmark’s Foreign Minister and European Minister on the occasion of the start of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
To: Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Marie Bjerre, Minister for European Affairs
From: Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
21 July 2025
Dear Mr Rasmussen, Ms Bjerre,
I am writing to offer my best wishes for the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, for what I am sure will be another vital period in European affairs.
Denmark is taking over the Presidency during a very volatile period of increasing global tension, conflict in Europe’s neighbourhood and while the international order is shifting. However, just after the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit in May and crucially the agreement on a new Security and Defence Partnership between the EU and the UK, your Presidency presents a real opportunity for more cooperation, notably in support of Ukraine.
We have looked with interest at your Presidency priorities around increasing competitiveness through the green transition. Your priorities as outlined in the Presidency programme resonate in a number of areas with our own ambitions in Scotland. I sincerely hope that our mutual interests can be developed further and would welcome the opportunity to discuss how the Scottish Government can support your efforts.
Scotland shares your assessment and concern over the increased global strategic and economic competition and the uncertainty in which we operate today. While Europe’s strength lies in its stable democracies, solid economic foundation and socially balanced societies, the complex and hybrid threats to our democracies and security, and the erosion of the rules-based international order are the geopolitical challenges that Europeans face today. Scotland is committed to working closely with our EU partners to protect the fundamental values of democracy, rule of law and the respect for human rights that has underpinned the EU since its foundation, and to increase our collective democratic resilience.
We are now in the fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine’s and Scotland continues to be steadfast in its condemnation of Russian aggression and its ongoing attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and in its support of Ukraine’s fight for peace, democracy and freedom in Europe.
In regard to your policy priorities, we are particularly interested in your focus on putting the green transition at the heart of increasing Europe’s security and its competitiveness and positioning it as key growth driver. We agree that an ambitious green transition is needed to make Europe stronger, more resilient and more competitive. It will ensure Europe’s autonomy, independence, and the meeting of its climate neutrality goals. Scotland is fully committed to our target of reducing greenhouse gases emissions to net zero by 2045. Like Denmark, we have extensive renewable resources and are well-placed to ensure long-term security of supply of clean, reliable electricity from wind, solar and green hydrogen, as well as extensive capacity for carbon storage to help decarbonise European industry. There is an opportunity here to work closely with your Presidency, and the wider grouping of North Sea nations, on these common goals and shared endeavours to explore further cooperation potential around clean and affordable energy.
We also share your view on the vital role of research and innovation in delivering the ambitious goal of strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and economic foundations. This includes closing the innovation gap in critical technologies – from artificial intelligence to biotechnology – advancing research-based innovation, supporting technology transfer and, critically, securing stable supply chains. We agree that Europe must be forward-leaning in these areas, in order to prepare for tomorrow’s jobs and assume leadership to reinforce its global position and create growth opportunities. We continue to work closely with our European partners, to capitalise on the opportunities presented through the current Horizon Europe programme, and to seek enhanced and balanced pillars of activity in the next MFF.
These are just some of the synergies between the Danish Presidency’s priorities and programme and Scotland’s own ambitions. I would be very happy to expand on any of these topics.
Scotland and Denmark have a relationship that goes back centuries. Our connections – between people, businesses, and institutions – are long-standing and well-developed. Today, in particular, we see strong relationships between our higher education and research institutions, energy industries, and our life-sciences sectors. Notably, our ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange on the digitalisation of public services continues to deepen. We have similar priorities, and a shared outlook on the world, and I know our teams have strong connections – in Copenhagen, Brussels and elsewhere.
I wish you and your colleagues a successful Presidency of the Council of the EU.
