Independent Scotland would have to apply for NATO membership

An independent Scotland would not automatically become a part of NATO and would have to apply for membership, according to the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

 
In an interview published in The Times, he said that membership would be dependent on a unanimous vote from all 28 member states. He warned that the decision could be blocked by any of the states in the Alliance.
 
"I am not going to interfere at all with a campaign leading up to the referendum in Scotland, but I can inform you about procedures and the facts," Mr Rasmussen said.
 
"In [the] case that Scotland voted in favour of independence then Scotland would have to apply for membership of NATO as a new independent state.
 
"A decision on accession would have to be taken by unanimity, by consensus as always in NATO."
 
He added: "Some aspiring countries have waited for many years. Others enjoy a very short procedure depending on how close they are to fulfilling the necessary criteria."
 
With less than a month to go until the independence referendum on 18 September, it is an announcement that will "alarm wavering voters" according to The Times.
 
The Scottish Parliament has previously said that joining the international military alliance would "be in the interests of Scotland, the rest of the UK and other NATO members", according to STV.
 
A Scottish government spokesperson said it was already aware that it would have to apply for NATO membership if it gained independence, but that it was confident its application would be successful. "Given that Scotland occupies a key strategic location in the North Atlantic, we believe our continue membership will be in the strong interests of the rest of the alliance."
 
The former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West of Spithead, said it was unlikely that Britain would attempt to derail Scotland's entry into NATO, but he did warn that other countries facing independence struggles themselves, such as Spain, might wish to do so as a warning.
 
The SNP changed its view on NATO membership in 2012, ending its 30-year opposition to being a part of the Alliance. Two MSPs - John Finnie and Jean Urquhart - left the party in protest at the policy change.However, the party says that membership would be "dependent on Trident nuclear weapons being removed from Scotland", the BBC reports.
 
There is still strong opposition of the Alliance and nuclear weapons within the SNP. Many party members "hold a vision of a neutral (and largely disarmed) Scotland - more like Sweden or Finland than Norway or the Netherlands", the Guardian reports.
 
In a previous interview in June, Mr Rasmussen said NATO had not discussed the implications of a "Yes" vote in the referendum, adding that the issue was "for the Scottish people to decide".