New Catalan leader calls for end of direct rule by Madrid

MADRID (Reuters) - New Catalan leader Quim Torra on Tuesday called for an end to direct rule over the Catalan regional government by Madrid in a joint news conference held in Berlin with former regional leader Carles Puigdemont.

The first aim of the newly formed Catalan government would be to seek dialogue with Madrid, he said. Torra said he had traveled to Berlin to pay homage to former leader Puigdemont whom he called Catalonia's legitimate president.

(Reporting by Sonya Dowsett; Editing by Alison Williams)

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