Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez has denied claims he was setting up a meeting with Catalan’s leading secessionist leader Cales Puigdemont, even as parliament wrestles to pass an amnesty bill for the separatists to meet the promises made by Sanchez in order to form a coalition government in the first place.
Spain’s Sanchez denies setting up meeting with Puidgemont to ‘normalise relations’ – EURACTIV.com – www.euractiv.com
Excerpt:
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has denied plans to meet Carles Puidgemont, leader of the Catalan pro-independence party JxCat, to ‘normalise’ relations, despite the latter’s party saying on Thursday that such a meeting would be held.
The announcement was made by JxCat Secretary General Jordi Turull, who told Spanish media on Thursday that the meeting, which has no fixed date, would take place abroad without the controversial international mediator chosen by both parties to oversee the negotiations.
“We have agreed to find a date and a place for them to meet. The important thing is that they meet and talk, in a meeting, as it should be, without photographs or party logos”, said Turull, adding that it is about “normalising a relationship and a negotiation between two presidents.”