President-elect Joe Biden is expected to visit Glasgow next year, the Scottish Conservatives have said.
Scottish secretary Alister Jack said he was looking forward to meeting the Democrat at COP 26, the postponed UN climate summit set to take place next November.
Mr Jack was speaking at the Scottish Conservative conference, which this year is taking place online as a result of the coronavirus.
In his opening remarks, the MP for Dumfries and Galloway told party members Prime Minister Boris Johnson had extended an invitation to Mr Biden earlier this month.
“Ideological obsession”
Mr Jack used his speech to attack the SNP for opposing devolution and Mr Johnson was in fact a great believer in it.
Prime minister Boris Johnson was heard earlier this week claiming devolution was “a disaster“.
The Scottish secretary said the nationalists were using Holyrood as a “trojan horse” to separation and said the independence referendum was a “once-in-a-generation” vote.
He said: “Despite what the SNP claim, our Prime Minister is a wholehearted supporter of devolution, and the UK Government is putting the Union at the heart of everything we do.
“It is the SNP which opposes devolution.
“The past few years have shown that devolution does not work best when its powers are controlled by a party which actively opposes it.
“The SNP have spent the past 13 years trying to use the Scottish Parliament as a Trojan Horse for independence.
“That is why I have made clear that we expect the SNP to honour its once-in-a-generation promise on the independence referendum.
“The last thing we need at this time is another divisive referendum.
“There are huge opportunities ahead of us.
“But to take full advantage of these we need the Scottish Government to match our ambition.
“It is time for all of us to work together and ensure we really do build back better.”
Recent polls have suggested an increase in support for Scottish independence.
SNP depute Keith Brown MSP said: “The Scottish Tories have repeatedly shown no interest in protecting Scotland’s interests – rubber-stamping the biggest power grab in the history of devolution and Boris Johnson’s plan to impose a devastating extreme Brexit, against Scotland’s will, in the middle of a global pandemic.
“Support for independence is on the rise, and the Tories can see that – which is why their Trump-like bid to deny democracy by blocking the people of Scotland having a say on their future is doomed to fail.”