EDINBURGH, U.K. -- Once courted by Quebec, Scotland is now out of fashion it seems.
Premier Francois Legault, on a mission to Edinburgh and Glasgow until Friday, made no attempt to meet with his Scottish counterpart, Nicola Sturgeon.
No request was made for a face-to-face, according to Quebec premier's office.
Quebec has direct relations with several partners, including Bavaria, Catalonia, Scotland and California. During her mandate, Premier Pauline Marois met her counterpart, Alex Salmond, in Edinburgh.
Salmond was the leader of the SNP, a pro-independence party, and wanted to achieve Scottish sovereignty... just like Sturgeon.
One of her goals is to hold a referendum on independence in 2023.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, speaks with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as they attend the opening ceremony of the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. The U.N. climate summit in Glasgow gathers leaders from around the world, in Scotland's biggest city, to lay out their vision for addressing the common challenge of global warming.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Legault's spokesperson said only that the Department of International Relations, which handles the missions of the head of government, has not requested a meeting with Sturgeon.
He did not specify why no request was made. Instead, as is customary, the Quebec government notified the U.K. and Scottish authorities of the premier's visit.
Legault spent most of the week in Scotland, attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow.
He met with several dignitaries, including Prince Charles, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and President Biden's climate advisor, Gina McCarthy.
Legault also met with several senior executives of major industrial companies.
Quebec has been actively pursuing an international policy since the establishment in the 1960s of the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine, which advocates the extension of Quebec's competencies (education, health, culture, etc.) on the international scene.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 6, 2021.
