Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Monday called for a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy "as soon as possible", as a deadline set by Madrid to clarify his intentions for his region came to a close.

"Let's not let the situation deteriorate further. With good will, recognising the problem and facing it head on, I am sure we can find the path to a solution," he wrote in a letter to Rajoy