Lanka won't recognise independent Catalonia

Sri Lanka will not recognise Catalonia which declared on Friday that it would secede from Spanish rule, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

It said the Sri Lanka Government unequivocally supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Spain. It urged a dialogue for a united Spain in accordance with the rule of law and within the Spanish constitutional framework.

"Sri Lanka and Spain enjoy an enduring friendship, and Sri Lanka considers Spain as an important member in Sri Lanka's partnership with the European Union (EU)," the ministry said yesterday.

On Friday, Catalona's Parliament declared the Catalan Republic as an independent, sovereign, democratic, social State after a majority of members voted in favour of separation. The Spanish Parliament immediately voted to impose direct rule by dismantling the regional Parliament and the cabinet and assuming its police powers.

Meanwhile, Alfred de Zayas, the United Nations Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, called on Spanish authorities this week to enter into negotiations in good faith with leaders of Catalonia.

“The only democratic solution to the current impasse is to suspend repressive measures and to organise a referendum so as to determine the true wishes of the population concerned," he said in a statement.