Catalonia Vote 'Internal Matter,' US Supports United Spain - State Department

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Catalonia’s snap parliamentary election is an internal matter of Spain, however, the United States supports a unified Spain and is ready to work with the country’s government, a US Department of State spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday.

"Spain is one of our closest allies, and we partner with Spain on a wide range of issues on our shared global agenda. The vote in Catalonia is an internal matter for Spain," the spokesperson said. "We continue to support a strong and united Spain and look forward to continued cooperation with the Spanish government."

On December 21, Catalonia held a snap parliamentary election. The three political parties calling for Catalonia’s independence — Republican Left of Catalonia, Together for Catalonia and Popular Unity Candidacy — received the majority of votes and now have 70 out of 135 mandates in Catalonia's parliament.

READ MORE: Spanish Citizens Party Leader Hopes for 'Common Sense' to Return to Catalonia

Madrid imposed direct rule over the autonomous region of Catalonia in late October, after Catalonia’s parliament declared independence. In the October 1 referendum in Catalonia, more than 90 percent of the voters backed independence. However, the referendum has not been recognized by Spain’s central government.

Catalonia has been one of the main contributors to Spain’s budget and it makes up to 25 percent of the country's GDP.