MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated on Wednesday Donald Trump on being elected new US president, noting, however, she waited for another outcome of the US presidential race.
"While this is not the outcome I hoped for, it is the verdict of the American people and we must respect it. I congratulate president-elect Trump on winning the election," Sturgeon said in a statement published on the Scottish government’s website.
She pointed out that Scotland valued its relations with the United States.
"The ties that bind Scotland and the US — of family, culture and business — are deep and longstanding and they will always endure," Sturgeon stressed.
The Scottish first minister called on Trump to reach out to people, who felt marginalized by his presidential campaign.
"Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values — all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity — to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear," Sturgeon said.
Sturgeon also paid tribute to Trump’s main opponent Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"While I am personally disappointed that she will not be America's first woman president, her candidacy represented a major step forward for women in America and across the world — for that, as well as for her many years of public service, she is owed a deep debt of gratitude," the Scottish politician explained.
Earlier in the day, Trump won the US presidential elections despite most of the analysts and opinion polls predicting his defeat to Clinton. Trump got 276 electoral votes against Hillary Clinton's 218 votes out of 270 needed to win.
