Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell welcomed the visit of Conservative European Parliamentary candidate Ian Duncan to Annan. A former Scottish Fishermen's Federation official, Ian Duncan has been working at the Scottish Parliament's office in Brussels.
He won a ballot of Scottish Conservative party members to replace Struan Stevenson at the top of the Tory list.
Mr Stevenson, who is well regarded in the South of Scotland, will stand down next year after 15 years as an MEP. The next elections to the European Parliament will take place at the end of May 2014.
Mr Mundell and local party members joined Mr Duncan on a tour of the town and discussed important priorities for the South of Scotland, including continued support for local famers.
Commenting Mr Duncan said it was a "tremendous honour" to have been selected at the top of the list and reiterated his commitment to making sure rural parts of Scotland like Dumfries and Galloway get the best possible deal from the EU.
He continued: "Struan will be a hard act to follow and his support will be invaluable in the coming months. I know he was well regarded here in the South of Scotland and I will work hard to make sure this area gets the support and resources it deserves, particularly for local farmers and the wider rural economy."
Mr Mundell said: “It was great to welcome Ian Duncan down to Dumfries and Galloway and it shows just how seriously he is taking the south of Scotland. His visit gave him the opportunity to find out more about some of our regions priorities directly from local people. I took this opportunity to raise the importance of our rural economy and the support local farmers receive from the EU and I am sure Ian will campaign hard on our behalf and give us a real voice in the European Parliament.”