HUMZA Yousaf met with the Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, on Thursday.
The First Minister and his Icelandic contemporary discussed collaborations between the two countries, in areas including renewable energy, biodiversity and the sustainable marine economy.
Jakobsdóttir said it was a “pleasure”, adding that the two countries “enjoy a close collaboration and friendship”, especially given their shared commitment towards a wellbeing economy.
She tweeted: “Pleasure meeting with @HumzaYousaf in Edinburgh today. Iceland and Scotland enjoy a close collaboration and friendship that has only grown stronger in recent years, not least through our common #WEGo goals on the wellbeing of our nations.”
Pleasure meeting with @HumzaYousaf in Edinburgh today. Iceland and Scotland enjoy a close collaboration and friendship that has only grown stronger in recent years, not least through our common #WEGo goals on the wellbeing of our nations. pic.twitter.com/rvyAbtD8kz
— Katrín Jakobsdóttir (@katrinjak) August 17, 2023
Yousaf, meanwhile, also hailed the “strong ties between Scotland and Iceland”.
He added: “I was pleased to welcome Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir for a positive discussion on how our nations can expand upon existing partnerships and improve the lives of people in both countries.
“The strong ties between Scotland and Iceland go back many years and we are committed to developing even stronger bilateral relations, building upon existing areas of collaboration in areas such as renewable energy, biodiversity and sustainable marine economy.
“We continue to engage with Icelandic experts to inform the development of our Bairns’ Hoose model, which will improve children’s experience of Scotland's healthcare, child protection and criminal justice systems for those who have experienced trauma.
“Alongside Scotland, Iceland is a founding member of the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) group and I congratulated the Prime Minister on her appointment as the World Health Organisation’s Champion for the Wellbeing Economy Initiative - a prestigious recognition of Iceland’s commitment to justice and advancing equality.
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Prime Minister and our counterparts in Iceland to take forward further mutual expert knowledge exchange.”
