CATALONIA’s foreign minister has dismissed claims from his Spanish counterpart and an MEP that an independent Scotland would have to queue up to join the European Union.

Raul Romeva was speaking exclusively to The National after Alfonso Dastis said Scotland would “have to queue” to re-join Europe if it achieved independence.

He said Spain wanted things to “stay as they are” following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement on holding a second independence referendum.

Dastis said: “Spain supports the integrity of the United Kingdom and does not encourage divisions in any of the member states.”

Spanish MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White told the BBC that Scotland would have to go through the joining process like every other country, and there would be “no privileges”.

Such remarks might be expected from Spanish politicians, given that they are also facing calls for independence, not least from the wealthy and populous north-eastern state of Catalonia.

Raul Romeva, the Catalan foreign minister, on a visit to Westminster, told The National: “That is the typical way to approach this from the Spanish government side and my reaction is always the same.

“The European Union has been built according to pragmatism and negotiations, so I am absolutely convinced that any situation will have to be dealt with in a pragmatic way.

“I deny that it is taken for granted that you are kept out of the European Union if you take that [independence] decision, it’s not written anywhere in any way that – in the case of Britain, if you create a new state within the EU automatically that state is outside of the EU – that is simply untrue. Negotiations will have to take place, this is beyond question, but this is what’s going to happen in any case with Scotland or any other country.”

Catalonia held a non-binding referendum in 2014, which resulted in former president Artur Mas and two of his ministerial colleagues this week being banned from public office for two years. Mas said the verdict made them more determined and pledged that a binding referendum would go ahead in September as planned.

Tensions between Catalan and Spanish governments have fuelled claims that Madrid is trying to stifle democracy by using the judiciary to neuter the regional parliament.

Romeva said he respected Nicola Sturgeon’s call for a second indyref in Scotland, adding that the question had to be resolved democratically.

“I understand that historically big decisions have been taken by putting questions to the people and that has happened once in Scotland. Obviously the referendum on Brexit has given a result that some may like and some may not and these have consequences as well, which must be resolved democratically.

“Our official position is absolute respect for what is going to be decided in Scotland. The fact that historically decisions have been taken in a democratic way is proof that the right solution will be taken. I have absolute respect for what is going to happen from now on.”

With Scotland and Catalonia in similar situations constitutionally, he said there is room for cooperation between the two governments.

“We understand that each other’s situation is specific, which means the context and the circumstances of the Catalans and the Scottish are different, but there are a lot of connections politically and economically, in terms of population, and socially and culturally speaking. From that perspective whatever decision is taken I am absolutely convinced that cooperation is going to be very fruitful.”

Of the ongoing battle with Madrid, Romeva said he would like to see the Spanish government agree to the referendum planned for September.

Although he conceded that such approval was unlikely, he said the poll would go ahead as planned, and added: “We also know that if we cannot get an agreement with the Spanish government we have a mandate given by both the people in elections – and specifically a parliamentary majority to hold a referendum – which means we are committed to doing this.”