Germany's Gabriel calls for talks between Catalonia, Spain

German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel arrives to attend a meeting of the parties to the Iran nuclear deal during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Monday called for urgent dialogue between Catalonia and Spain, and said it was vital to prevent events from spiraling out of control after a violent police crackdown on an independence vote in the region. "The images that reached us yesterday from Spain show how important it is to interrupt the spiral of escalation," Gabriel said in a statement in which he echoed calls by European Union officials for dialogue between Spain and Catalonia. Gabriel urged both sides to "keep calm" and work towards a lasting political solution that maintained the rule of law, which he said was one of the key pillars that united EU members. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Michelle Martin)