Flanders That Shelters Puigdemont Wants To Develop Ties With Catalonia - Draft Paper

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) The northern Belgian region of Flanders, where former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont currently lives, wants to develop cooperation with other European autonomous regions, including Catalonia, a draft document, prepared by the New Flemish Alliance party, said.

"Flanders will be more and more spreading its wings in Europe and globally. We are focusing on economic diplomacy and expanding the economic network of the Flanders Investment & Trade agency as well as the Flemish diplomatic network. Our priority is to boost our ties with the North Sea and Hansa [the Baltic Sea] nations. We will continue to closely cooperate with our neighbors, particularly, with the Netherlands as well as North Rhine-Westphalia and northern France, as well as other autonomous regions, such as Catalonia, Scotland and the Basque Country," the draft document said.

At the same time, the New Flemish Alliance said that it was interested in the strong and democratic European Union, which should focus on developing international trade, boosting the internal market, protecting external borders and fighting illegal migration.

Puigdemont is sheltering in Flanders as he may face criminal persecution in Spain over his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, which was declared illegal by Madrid.