On Thursday, April 7^th, the President of the Catalan Government, Carles Puigdemont, travelled to Atlanta to attend the Annual Executive Briefing and Presidential Reception at The Carter Center where he later spoke with former US President and Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter in a private meeting. The current political situation in Catalonia and the citizens’ push for independence were among the topics discussed during the meeting.

 

In an interview with TV3, the President described the invitation as good “opportunity to share information on the current state of affairs” and expressed his content to do so before an audience that is “used to discussing these kinds of issues”. Moreover, his participation in the Annual Executive Briefing confirms “the growing interest there is regarding the Catalan question”, Puigdemont told members of the press.

 

According to the head of the Catalan Government, situations “of political conflict” often require “the expertise of mediators”. In this regard, the President asked how a belief held “is widely endorsed by the Catalan people cannot be solved by democratic means” and how such a demand “has not aroused political or democratic interest from the Spanish state”. “We have laid a table for the Spanish state to sit at and negotiate at, and if the mediation of other parties is required, it won’t be us who object to it”, he added.

 

The President also noted that Catalonia shares “similar objectives” with The Carter Center and put forward the Government’s “commitment to defend peace, eliminate sickness, and consolidate democratic processes” at the instiution’s disposal. “I said he could count on Catalonia’s commitment to being a peaceful, welcoming country, which accepts the challenges of today”, he told TV3.