Torra asks Sánchez for meeting, Madrid says now 'is not the time'

President Quim Torra sent an official letter on Wednesday to Spanish president Pedro Sánchez to invite him to a bilateral meeting in Barcelona, saying discussions between the two leaders are urgently needed.

However, sources in the Spanish government insisted that now "is not the time" for a new meeting between Torra and Sánchez. Both leaders met in August in the their first encounter since reaching power. They agreed on the need to engage in dialogue and negotiations to find a "political solution" to the current stalemate in Catalonia.

On Tuesday, during a speech in Parliament, Torra gave Sánchez an ultimatum, urging him to put forward a proposal for a referendum within a month. Madrid flatly rejected the move, saying it would not accept ultimatums and urging the Catalan president to calm down.

In his letter sent on Wednesday, Torra doesn't mention any deadlines but insists that it's "essential" to move forward with the political dialogue to find solutions to the conflict.

The Catalan president invites Sánchez to "talk about everything", including the Socialist's leader project for Catalonia and the "right of self-determination."

"The Catalan people deserve a brave answer, different to those given until now," said Torra in the letter.