Former Catalan Leader Puigdemont Calls For Improvement Of Russia-EU Relations

Umer Jamshaid Published September 15, 2019 | 09:10 AM

LUGANO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2019) Russia and the European Union should improve the bilateral relations, as it serves the interests of the two sides, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told Sputnik in an interview.

"Russia and the European Union should improve the bilateral relations. It seems absurd to me that now we have more problems with Russia than it was during the Soviet era. I am sure that the future will be achieved through dialogue and cooperation between the West and the East, and therefore improving relations is in the interests of both Russia and the European Union," Puigdemont said.

The politician recalled that five years had already passed since the introduction of sanctions.

"Several years have passed since the introduction of sanctions and now we see the results. The time has come to change that. This could be the first step toward making Europe a protagonist in resolving the Ukrainian crisis," Puigdemont added.

Puigdemont fled Spain shortly after the Catalan independence referendum, which was organized by his government in October 2017.

Madrid called the referendum illegal and dissolved the Catalan parliament in response. A number of former Catalan officials were later put on trial, and a warrant for Puigdemont's arrest was issued. However, Spain's Supreme Court dropped the European arrest warrant against him and several of his aides in July of the following year. The warrant for his arrest in Spain still remain in force.

Puigdemont, who is currently residing in Belgium, was elected in the European Parliament on May 26 from the Lliures per Europa coalition, but he did not arrived in Spain to undergo necessary formal procedures for obtaining the status of the member of the European Parliament. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), based in Luxembourg, is now considering his case.

The politician expressed hope that the court would make a decision in his favor, so that he could present the Catalans in the European Parliament.