Nicola Sturgeon has announced her government has entered talks with the Greens over a formal “cooperation agreement”.
She said it could lead to Scottish Green Ministers serving in a pro-independence government.
The First Minister unveiled the talks during a parliamentary statement on the first 100 days of her Government
If a deal is reached, it would give the SNP and Greens a majority on key areas such as legislation and the budget, and signal a more consensual style of politics.
Although the SNP has governed as a majority since 2007, she said talks had taken place with the Greens last night at Bute House about a formal arrangement.
She said: “I can confirm that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party will enter structured talks, supported by the civil service, with a view to reaching - if we can - a formal Cooperation Agreement.
“Exactly what the content, extent and scope of any Agreement will be is what the talks will focus on.”
She said that what they hoped to achieve is “potentially groundbreaking”, adding:
“In the coming weeks, we will seek to agree specific policy areas in which we would formally co-operate and, within each, identify the shared objectives and policy initiatives we would be agreeing to work together on.
“I am confident these policy areas will include the climate emergency and how we can accelerate Scotland’s progress to net zero.”
Sturgeon also said: “As we embark on this process, we are setting no limits on our ambition.
“So in that vein let me be clear that while this is not a guaranteed or pre-agreed outcome, it is not inconceivable that a Cooperation Agreement could lead in future to a Green minister or ministers being part of this government.”
She said: “The key point for today is that we are both agreeing to come out of our comfort zones to find new ways of working for the common good.
A deal would also establish a formal majority for support for a second independence referendum.
Talks between the Scottish Government and the Greens are expected to conclude before the next parliamentary Recess.
Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Politics does not have to be about point-scoring and short-termism. Green parties across Europe and in countries like New Zealand have in recent years rolled up their sleeves and worked with other parties to deliver a better future.
"But they have also shown that there is more than one way for government and opposition parties to work together, without losing the ability to challenge one another. We believe the people of Scotland want to see grown-up politics like this, and will approach the forthcoming talks in this spirit”
