Entente Cordiale Centenary - Welcome

Of all the diverse forms of exchange connecting Scotland and France today, the most dynamic and important is our trade in goods, services and ideas. From tourism to biotechnology, seafood to Sauternes, finance to farming, our economic and commercial relationships exert a far-reaching effect throughout both societies.

France is Scotland's  third biggest market overall, and our largest for food and drink - including £230 million worth of whisky each year. Aided by improved air connections, an estimated 124,000 French visitors contributed some £34 million to the Scottish economy in 2002, with better transport links also brightening the climate for other business sectors. Encouraging companies to develop international connections is a key plank in the Scottish Executive's "Smart, Successful Scotland" enterprise strategy, and to this end both Scottish Development International and VisitScotland with be holding a number of trade and tourism fairs, business seminars and other events in France during the Entente Cordiale centenary. Science and technology are both especially vital to any modern economy, with Scottish companies and universities fast emerging among the market leaders in knowledge-based innovation. Scotland's commitment to all these goals is embodied in the sponsorship of its Entente Cordiale programme by BT Syntegra, the business transformation and change management arm of the telecommunications giant, which enjoys the benefits of significant operations in both Scotland and France.

Other related events include June's Festival of Franco-British Scientific Co-Operation, hosted by the British Council in Paris to celebrate the "Alliance for Science" joint research programme, and a summer school for young physicists in July.