Independent Scotland would not join euro - Sturgeon

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrives for a meeting with European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 28, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Dunand/Pool via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An independent Scotland would not join the euro currency, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday, adding there was "absolutely nothing" stopping the country keeping the pound.

"It is not my party's position to go into the euro and I do see that changing. Self evidently it is not a requirement for EU membership in practice," Sturgeon said, speaking at an event hosted by the Politico news website in Brussels.

"The pound is Scotland's currency right now. The pound, as everybody knows, is a fully tradable international currency. There is absolutely nothing to stop Scotland from using the pound," Sturgeon added.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald, writing by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)