Spain's Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, promised yesterday to block efforts to call a referendum on self-determination in the Basque country.
Mr Aznar made it clear he would prevent Basque Regional Premier Mr Juan Jose Ibarretxe, whom he met last night, from leading Basques into a referendum that would see them decide on the region's future.
Officials said Mr Aznar and Mr Ibarretxe had agreed to work on ways to counter ETA during last night's meeting. But Mr Ibarretxe warned that they would need to meet again to discuss his self-determination plans.
"We will have to talk about everything. We will have to talk about self-determination. We will have to talk about sovereignty . . . and we will have to talk about the [Spanish] constitution," he said.
Mr Aznar did not comment after the meeting. However, beforehand he told La Vanguardia newspaper: "The right to self-determination is not recognised anywhere in the world. Mr Ibarretxe had better be aware that no part of Spain will be segregated."
His words increased tension between central government in Madrid and the regional government of Mr Ibarretxe's moderate Basque Nationalist party. Mr Ibarretxe has already angered Mr Aznar's conservative Popular Party by pledging to take his region further towards self-determination. "If they say the constitutional pact is worthless and must be remade through the separation of a part of Spain, then that is independence and I say No," warned Mr Aznar.
The moves towards self-determination have provoked an outraged reaction from Spain's conservative politicians and press, who mostly believe granting Basques that right would be the beginning of the disintegration of Spain. Other regions such as Catalonia would also start campaigning for independence, they fear.