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The Spanish government will, before the end of the year, hold a cabinet meeting in Barcelona, Catalonia, and another in Andalusia. The aim is to approve measures of specific interest to the residents of the two autonomous communities, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has announced in Chile, where he is on an official visit.

In a press conference alongside Chilean president Sebastián Piñera, Sánchez said that his government is "profoundly respectful" of Catalonia's self-governance, but also wants to demonstrate that it has a project for each and every one of Spain's peoples and territories.

Response to Waterloo

The same day that the current Catalan president, Quim Torra, and his predecessor, Carles Puigdemont, called upon Sánchez from Waterloo to offer a political project for Catalonia based on actions, Sánchez replied that his program consists of "uniting Catalans around a project which would move beyond this crisis of social harmony in Catalonia".

In Sánchez's opinion, the factor which brings together the majority of Catalans isn't independence, but self-government, which they plan to be "scrupulously respectful" of. Proof of this, he said, is their willingness to withdraw appeals against Catalan laws filed before the Constitutional Court by previous Spanish government.

They have to balance this respect for self-governance, however, with a project for Catalonia, like those it has for Spain's other territories. Within this context, they are to hold cabinet meetings this year in Catalonia and Andalusia, to approve measures responding to everyday problems of their citizens, in areas like health, education and infrastructure.

They hope this will make it clear that, in Sánchez's opinion, the Spanish government is not only enacting a policy of reaching out to Catalonia, but also carrying out specific actions.