Scottish minister says EU membership in Scotland’s best interests

Visiting Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Tuesday in Brussels that she believed unequivocally that membership of the European Union (EU) is in Scotland’s best interests.

周二，在布鲁塞尔访问的苏格兰首席部长尼古拉·斯特金明确表示，加入欧盟符合苏格兰最佳利益。

She made the remarks at European Policy Center, saying that the "in or out" referendum pledged by British Prime Minister David Cameron on whether Britain should withdraw from the EU by 2017 is "undesirable".

她在欧洲政策中心发表讲话，称英国首相大卫·卡梅伦所承诺的于2017年就英国是否退出欧盟进行全民投票，是不能接受的。

She said Scotland’s commitment to the EU was founded on its awareness of the practical benefits it would bring.

她说，苏格兰对欧盟的承诺，是基于欧盟能给苏格兰带来实质利益而做出的。

Sturgeon said there are many areas - whether it is climate change or energy security or international trade - where decisions taken by the EU will be more effective than ones made by 28 individual nations.

斯特金表示，在气候变化、能源安全、国际贸易等众多领域，欧盟做出的决定比28国各自做出决定要更加行之有效。

She said the EU had provided important social protections for workers in Scotland and across the continent.

她认为，欧盟为欧洲大陆和苏格兰的员工提供了重要的社会保障。

And the common market is vital for jobs and businesses across Scotland, as the EU provides the market for almost half of Scotland’s international exports, and it has been estimated that those exports support more than 300,000 jobs.

由于欧盟几乎占到苏格兰出口的50%，欧洲共同市场对于苏格兰的就业和贸易十分重要，据估计，这些出口为其创造了超过30万个工作岗位。

Sturgeon added that the freedom to travel, study and work across Europe has brought major benefits to Scotland, noting that at present there are 170,000 people from the EU who live and work in Scotland.

斯特金还指出，欧洲间的自由旅行、学习和工作同样给苏格兰带来了众多益处，强调目前有17万人来自欧盟国家的人在苏格兰工作和生活。

Noting that the referendum is now inevitable, Sturgeon said that the Scottish government intended to approach the referendum in a positive and constructive manner.

谈到目前不可避免的全民公投，斯特金说，苏格兰政府趋向于通过积极建设性的方式进行投票。

She said Scotland seeks to make the referendum a difference from such aspects as the content of the referendum bill and Scotland’s proposals for EU reform.

她表示，苏格兰力图使全民投票通过公投法案内容和苏格兰对欧盟改革的提议，使公投产生影响。

Sturgeon also said Scotland were arguing for a "double majority" provision, which would mean that Britain would only leave the EU, if England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales vote in favor.

斯特金还表示，苏格兰一直在争取“双重多数”条款，这将意味如果英格兰、北爱尔兰、苏格兰和威尔士都投赞成票，英国才能脱离欧盟。

Later Tuesday, Sturgeon also met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

上周二晚些时候，斯特金还会见了欧盟委员会主席让·克劳德·容克。

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来源:China Daily 官网爱语吧作者:孙梦光