Catalonia's President has declared the autonomous region an independent state, but suspended this independence for two weeks pending further talks with Spain's Government.

Carles Puigdemont said he had a mandate to declare independence for the north-eastern region, but proposed waiting to allow for negotiations to take place.

Speaking in the Catalan Parliament, Mr Puigdemont made his announcement during a special session in which he said that the only way forward was through democracy and peace.

Some 2.3 million Catalans - 43% of the electorate in the north-eastern region - voted in the October 1 independence referendum, which the Spanish government said was illegal.

Regional authorities say 90% who voted were in favour and declared the results of the vote valid.

It is thought that Mr Puigdemont's announcement will not be popular with either side of the debate.

Madrid had previously said they would seek to imprison the president if he sought independence, and are thought to be unlikely to accept two weeks of negotiations.

Meanwhile the opposition leader in Catalonia's Parliament branded Mr Puigdemont's speech "a coup" and said it had no support in Europe.

In his speech Mr Puigdemont continued that he wanted to follow voters' will for independence, but needed to allow time for talks, something he said the Catalan Government was always willing to do.

He stressed the "need to de-escalate tension and not contribute to increase it with words or actions" and called on the Spanish Government to listen.

Mr Puigdemont added that the Catalan situation is a European matter in his speech which was delayed by more than an hour while it was finalised.

The 54-year-old continued that Catalonia had been a source of stability, and said he was not planning any threat or insult.

Mr Puigdemont condemned the central government's "aggressive" behaviour in trying to stop the vote.

The ballot was marred by violence with around 900 voters and 33 police officers injured as they clashed.

In one instance a woman was seen being dragged away from a polling booth by her hair.

However, it is thought that many who back remaining part of Spain stayed away from the ballot boxes.

Madrid has said it will block any moves towards secession.

In the days since the outlawed vote, thousands have taken to the streets of Barcelona, as well as Madrid and other towns and cities to express their views whether for or against independence.

Following the vote, Spain's King Felipe VI condemned Catalan authorities, saying they had deliberately bent the law with their "irresponsible conduct".

Delivering an address to the nation by television, the king said the bid by authorities in the northeastern region to push ahead with independence had "undermined coexistence" in Catalonia.

During Nicola Sturgeon's address to the SNP conference in Glasgow, a number of Catalan flags were seen in the audience in an apparent show of solidarity with the region's calls for independence.