Jack McConnell has attacked his successor as First Minister for a "limited vision" of Scotland's links with the rest of the world.

The unprecedented attack from the former Labour leader on Alex Salmond follows a private exchange of letters between the pair on plans for Homecoming Scotland 2009 - the programme to encourage Scots descendants to visit the country in the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birthday.

The project began under the previous administration, and was taken on by the SNP. But Mr McConnell, who has avoided political controversy since he stepped down last August, has broken that silence with claims that Nationalists are limiting its scope too much.

Instead of covering the four main countries for Scots descendants - the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - Mr McConnell argues the programme should draw on links with Asia, Africa and the rest of Europe.

The Labour MSP has been appointed the next High Commissioner to Malawi, the African nation with which he renewed historic links during his time in Bute House. He claims South Africa has one million people with Scottish blood connections, Poland, France and the Caribbean states each have 500,000, and even Russia and Scandanavia have around 250,000 each.

The former First Minister says the showcase year of events should be aimed also at China and India, with fewer family links but where there is rapid economic growth and fast rising numbers visiting Europe as tourists.

Mr McConnell told The Herald: "Our international strategy for Scotland needs to be wider than North America, Australia and New Zealand and it needs to look at the modern world in its entirety - making Scotland a location of choice for tourists from Asia, who are going to be the biggest tourist market in the world 20 years from now, but also those with diaspora connections in other parts of the world. I'm extremely disappointed the First Minister has such a limited vision of this, but I hope that, on reflection, he will be willing to think again."

Mr McConnell's public comments follow an exchange of letters, in which Mr Salmond responded saying the focus of the Homecoming programme has been on the four countries with the largest Scottish diaspora, that there are no planned events in the Homecoming programme specifically linked to Africa or China, but that the programme is not complete.

The SNP First Minister suggested there could be unfunded "partner events" which could be listed on the Homecoming website, such as the Edinburgh Mela multi-cultural festival.

There are 100 organisations planning events and festivals in more than 50 locations throughout Scotland.

These are to be based around five themes of the national bard, golf, whisky, great minds and innovations, and Scotland's culture and heritage. The programme starts with Burns' birthday next January and continues until St Andrews Day at the end of November.

The Scottish Government has committed £5m, aiming for a return on that investment of as much as £40m, with a further £250,000 announced this week from the Scottish Arts Council.

Mr Salmond announced this week that the plan includes the first tour by the Edinburgh Military Tour to other parts of Scotland, stressing that the point of the project is a "living, vibrant invitation to people around the world" to visit the country during 2009.