The secessionist leader of Catalonia called for international mediation on Monday in the region’s dispute with Madrid, Reuters reports.
The vote was valid and must be implemented, said Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.
"It is not a domestic matter," he told a news conference on Monday. He said it was "obvious that we need mediation", adding: "We don’t want a traumatic break ... We want a new understanding with the Spanish state."