REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LONDON - The British government is warning that Scotland could face long and complex negotiations to get back into the European Union if it votes for independence in a referendum this year.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said Friday that a vote for independence would create "a more dramatically and immediately uncertain world."
He said an independent Scotland would have to reapply for EU entry, in "a process of uncertain length and unknown outcome."
Hague was launching a series of analysis papers designed to persuade Scots to stay in the United Kingdom.
Scottish independence advocates say they want to keep the pound as the country's currency and remain in the EU and NATO if the country votes to separate in a Sept. 18 referendum. Opponents say renegotiating those agreements may not be simple.