After citizens in Scotland voted to keep the country a member of the United Kingdom, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), Edinburgh, Scotland, released a statement.

“The people of Scotland have made a historic choice against the background of the most profound national debate,” said David Frost, chief executive officer of the SWA, in a statement. “We welcome the stability that this choice brings and now urge politicians of all parties to work to bring our country together. The referendum debate has shown the need for government and business to collaborate to address long-term economic challenges.

“We will be looking closely at plans for further devolution within this context,” he continued. “There must now be a renewed focus on improving the business environment so that Scotland’s economy can grow to everyone’s benefit. The Scotch whisky industry is determined to play a leading role in shaping discussions that are fundamental to the future success of our industry and our nation.”

According to scotlandreferendum.info, the Scottish Independence Referendum opponents of independence received 55 percent of the vote, while those in favor of independence accounted for approximately 45 percent of the vote. More than 3.6 million people voted on the referendum, which was an approximately 85 percent turnout for the country.