YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The upcoming election in Catalonia on November 25 can become a unique precursor of the independence referendum of Catalonia. "Armenpress" had a conversation with the member of the International Union of Criminal Lawyers, the lecturer of the Philosophy of Jurisprudence in the Barcelona University Professor Juan Merelo-Barberá.

- Recently one can hear conversations about the 2014 referendum for the self-determination of Catalonia very frequently. Why 2014 and not this year or 2013 for instance?

- Two nationalistic parties - Esquerra Republicana and Convergencia y Unión have made this decision. 2014 is the year of the 300th anniversary of the defeat of Barcelona in the combat for the Spanish heritage. September 11 is the national Holliday of Catalonia. It is a nonworking day. This year the holiday has been celebrated in the atmosphere of mass protests, the people introduced the claim for freedom. In that very day the suggestion of referendum has been made. Notwithstanding, the final dates have not been clarified yet.

- After the country of the Basks it was Catalonia to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Most of us are interested why Spain does not want to join those countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

- Spain is against all kinds of national questions, as a state Spain did not manage to overcome its problems, which mostly are of a sentimental origin. For instance, Spain contradicts nationalism to the issues regarding the Basques or Catalans and considers the arguments of the sides from hostile point of view and not from the viewpoint of establishing relations and coexistence. In this respect It’s quiet natural that Spain equally does not accept the national principles of other nations as well. This state likes a centripetal position. And after all, what is the discussion about, if Spain has not recognized even the independence of Kosovo? (THE FULL VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

The interview by Artur Ghukasyan