Jordan does not recognise independent Catalonia

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani on Sunday affirmed the need to respect the unity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain over all its territory, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Momani, who is also the government's spokesperson, stressed in a press statement the need to respect the constitution and the laws of Spain, pointing out that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan does not recognise the “unconstitutional independence of the province of Catalonia”.

Momani confirmed Jordan's support for the Spanish government in its legitimate measures to preserve Spain's unity and sovereignty through its territory, emphasising the close relation between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Spain.

Spain's biggest political crisis in decades mounted on Friday when secessionists in the Catalan parliament voted to declare the wealthy northeastern region of some 7.5 million people an independent republic, Agence France-Presse reported.
The central government reacted by temporarily stripping the region of its autonomy, declaring the dismissal of secessionist regional president, Carles Puigdemont, and his executive.

Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards rallied in Catalonia's capital Barcelona on Sunday, waving national and European flags and chanting "Viva Espana!" to denounce regional lawmakers' vote to sever the region from Spain (see story on page 6).