MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2020) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that he hopes to meet with the leader of Catalonia's regional government Quim Torra in Barcelona in early February, after the prime minister struck a deal with separatist politicians to re-open talks in exchange for their abstention in a crucial confidence vote earlier in January.
"Since Mr. Torra asked me to meet, I will propose to parliament that we will hold it during the first week of February," Sanchez said during an appearance on Spanish national broadcaster RTVE on Monday.
The prime minister struck a deal with Catalan lawmakers to re-open talks in exchange for their abstentions during a parliamentary vote to form a coalition government, headed by Sanchez, which took place in the first week of January. Sanchez lost the first vote, which required an absolute majority, but was successful in the second vote which required a simple majority.
According to the prime minister, Spanish and Catalan lawmakers must open channels of dialogue in order to find a solution to ongoing tensions.
"The solution to the political crisis in Catalonia will through dialogue with the Catalan parliament and cooperation between the two governments," Sanchez said.
On October 1, 2017, Catalonia held a referendum in which 90 percent of voters supported the region's independence from Spain. Madrid declared the referendum illegal and arrested a number of pro-independence leaders.
