Spain's prime minister has rejected offers of mediation in the Catalonia crisis, and called for respect of Spanish law

Sapin Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, while thankful for the approaches, said that "there is no possible mediation between democratic law and disobedience and unlawfulness."

Rajoy made the comments while addressing Spain's parliament a day after Catalan officials signed what they called a declaration of independence from Spain.  Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont said the previous day that he would proceed with the secession but was suspending it for a few weeks to facilitate negotiations.

Rajoy finished his address to parliament on Wednesday calling for all Spaniards to "put an end to this division and to do it with serenity, prudence and the final goal of recovering coexistence."

Spain's prime minister says that this month's referendum in Catalonia was part of a strategy "to impose independence that few want and is good for nobody."