Germany: SNP leader Sturgeon vows to 'avert' no-deal Brexit on visit to Berlin

W/S Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon entering the press room, Berlin
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SOT, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister: "Five years ago of course those against Scottish independence, said that Scotland would be cast out of the European Union if we voted to become an independent country and today we faced being removed from the European Union against our will because we are not independent."
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SOT, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister: "A general election in the UK is inevitable or as close to inevitable as it is possible to be and that general election would take place at some point over the next few months so if we end up in the position of a further extension to the article 50 process then a general election maybe what the purpose of that extension is. My party will continue to do everything we can to avert Brexit and certainly avert a no-deal Brexit and we hope that Scotland will remain part of the European Union for many years to come."
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SOT, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister: "Independence for Scotland is certainly very much on the agenda and predictions are never safe things to indulge in in politics but I would predict that over the next few years Scotland will become independent and become an independent member of the EU."
M/S Journalist reading
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SOT, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister: "Boris Johnson desperately wants to blame the EU for a no-deal Brexit and I think the wiser course, if I can say that very respectfully, would be for the EU not to allow him the opportunity to do that, I think an extension is preferable to a no-deal exit so if that request comes I very much hope that the EU Council would agree to it."
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SOT, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister (English): "The SNP is opposed to Brexit. Scotland didn't vote for Brexit so we will continue to expend our energies on trying to stop Brexit happening or look for ways in which Scotland can maintain our membership of the EU."
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W/S First Minister Nicola Sturgeon finishing the presser
W/S Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Auswartige Politik (DGAP) building
SCRIPT
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed her opposition to Brexit during a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday.
Sturgeon said that she hoped Scotland would remain a part of the EU "for many years to come," and stated her predictions that "over the next few years Scotland will become independent and become an independent member of the EU."
"Scotland didn't vote for Brexit so we will continue to expend our energies on trying to stop Brexit happening or look for ways in which Scotland can maintain our membership of the EU," she stated.
She stressed that her party would "continue to do everything we can to avert Brexit and certainly avert a no-deal Brexit."
Scotland voted remain in the UK's 2016 referendum with a majority of 62 percent.
The first minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader is in Berlin to develop Scotland's political and economic ties with Germany, according to the Scottish government's official website. Germany accounted for 7.2 percent of Scotland's international exports in 2017, making it the country's fourth largest export market, according to the Scottish government. The total value of exports amounted to £2.3 billion (€2.59 billion/$2.87 billion), up from £1.91 billion (€2.16 billion/$2.38 billion) in 2016.