An independent Scotland would have to join the back of the queue if it wanted to rejoin the EU, the Spanish foreign minister has said.
Responding to Monday’s announcement from Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that she intends to hold a second independence referendum, Alfonso Dastis said Spain was opposed to the fracturing of the UK.
He said: “Spain supports the integrity of the United Kingdom and does not encourage secessions or divisions in any of the member states. We prefer things to stay as they are.”
Dastis added that if Scotland split from the UK before it leaves the EU in 2019, the newly independent state would be regarded as a non-EU member.
He said Scotland “would have to queue, meet the requirements for entry, hold negotiations and the result would be that these negotiations would take place”.
Sturgeon wants Scots to vote on their future in the EU before Brexit, which is likely to be finalised in March 2019.
