El president ela Generalitat de Catshinya HE, Mr Pedro Sanches Pérez-Castelén President of the Government of Spain ‘Complejo de la Moncioa ‘Avda. Pusrta de Hira, al 28071 Madrid Barcelona, 26 September 2018 Dear President, “You will be eware ofthe increased show of public support for Catalan independence ‘during this year's Catalan National Day celebrations in Barcelona and elsewhere in Catalonia. The themes under which the psopie took to the streets in such large ‘numbers we'e the demand for Catalonia's politcal leadership to move forward to the ‘establishment an independent republic, and the demand forthe release ofthe poltical prisoners, As a democrat, you will appreciate that political loaders are the servants of ‘the people, not their mastors. | belive the Catalan Government has the necessary popular mandate to move forward on these two issues, However, ths timing of the process is subject to events that are beyond the direct Control of politicians. | am informed that the trial of the political prisoners is to be pursued, despite the escalating crisis, and that it is expected to begin at some point before the end ofthis year. | have to tel you now that if this prosecution proceeds ~ based on the accusations also sustained by the Public Prosecutor, and if any ofthe prisoners are convicted and ‘sentenced o prison for their beliefs, then itis my assessment that the puble demands. for an independent republic will become overwhelming, | ave made't clear on a number of occasions that the Catalan politcal leadership is ready to take part in a mediated dialogue with your Government in an efort to avert ‘an escalation in the current crisis and to reach @ settlement ofthe Catelan question through negotiations. This stance has also been made clear by President Puigdemont| |Lam now witing to you formally to ask you to authorize your Government to enter mediated dialogue as quickly as possible. The Catalan side is ready to begin this process witout preconditions. The gap is notin my view, unbridgeable. The Catalan ‘side isnot fixed upon securing immediate independence from Spain. Ourobjective in the negotiations is simple: to ensure respect for the democratically expressed will of the majority of the Catalan population, through a legally binding free and fair referendum, in which both sides agree to abide by the result,‘You will understand that it would be increasingly dificult to move onto substantive ‘talks about the future relationship between Catalonia and Spain whilst nine members (of the Catalan political leadership remain in grison, and other seven in exile, for ‘llegedly pursuing an independence referendum. We would therefore ask you, as significant gosture towards Catalan socity, to inte the Public Prosecutor to withdraw the charges or, forthe timo being at loast, If al cbjections to their provisional release, Pending trial, as 2 confidence-building measure, Providing the rine have been released, the Catalan side is ready to explore al possible options with Madrid (Our negotiating team is always ready to begin dscussions. | am therefore asking you to-confim in wrting, as soon as possible, thal your Government is ready to enter mediated negotiations; to identify your negdiating team: to open channels of ‘communication between the two sides; and to begin proximity talks aimed at agreeing the logistics and modalities for the whole process. You may also wish to suggest one ‘or more institutional mediators end observers ‘0 facilitate the substantive dialogue process. If ¢0, we are ready to do the same. |lam copying this letter to the EU and world leaders listed below so thatthe dialogue process can be as rensparent as possible. Iti obviously inthe interests ofboth sides, ‘and ofthe world, for this process to succeed, since an orderly and peaceful resolution Of the situation is the only means remaining to evert a European crisis However, let me reiterate that in the absence cf meaningful dialogue, my prediction Is that the trial and conviction of the political prisoners is likely to lead to an ‘overwhelming demand for immediate independence from Spain. For all our sakes, @ ‘managed transition would be the preferable course, and itis the one which | am now proposing | 00k forward to hearing from you atthe earliestopportunity taking into consideration the time frame in which we are moving at this stage, Years sincerely, ~ Es Quin) Torre Pla Presitent of Cataloniaorc HE. Mr Antoni Mart! Petit, Head of Government of Andorra HE. Mr Sebastian Kurz, Federal Chancellor of Austria “HE, Mr Sergei Rumas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus “H.E. Mr Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Belgium “HE Mr Danis Zvizcié, Chairman of the Counel of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina HE. Mr Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria “HE. MrXi Jinping, President of People's Republic of China HE. Mr Andrej Plankovig, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, “HEE. Mr Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus HE. Mr Andre] Babis, Prime Minister of the Gzech Republic HE MrLars Lekke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark HE. Mr Jari Ratas, Prime Minister of Estonia HE. Mr Juha Sipla, Prime Minister of Finland IMD Geert Bourgedis, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders HE Ms Angela Merkel, Chancellr of the Federal Republic of Germany = H.E. Mr Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister ofthe Hellenic Republic HE. Mr Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary HE. Ms Katrin Jakobsdétir, Pie Minister of celand = H.E Mr Leo Verackar, Prime Minister of reland HE Mr Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of italy H.E Mr Ramush Harading), Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo HE Mr Maris Kutinskis, Prime Minister of Latvia HE Mr Saulius Skvemelis, Prime Minister of Lithuania HE. Mr Xavior Bette, Prime Minister of Luxembourg - H.E Mr Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of the Republic Macedonia HE. Mr Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta = HLE. Mr Dusko Markovié, Prime Minister of Montenegro HE. MrMark Rute, Prime Minister of the Netherlands HE Ms Ema Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway HE. Mr Mateusz Morawieck, Prime Minister of Poland “HL. Mr Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal = H.E Ms Viorica Danci, Prime Minister of Romania “HE. Mr Viadimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation ‘The Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland Ms Ana Binabic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mr Peter Peliogtiri, Prime Minister of Slovakia . Mr Marian Saree, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Stefan Lofven, Prime Minister of Sweden HE. Me Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation H H H H x