Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-08-30

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Venizelos: We must avoid escalation of tension in Ukraine

[01] Venizelos: We must avoid escalation of tension in Ukraine

"We must avoid, once again, the escalation in Ukraine and create conditions for a political and institutional solution that will provide an answer to all regions, all ethnic groups and religious communities - all Ukraine citizens - because it is vital to get away from the tension in the relations of the West with Russia," Venizelos said.

Venizelos also called for sustaining the ceasefire in Gaza and guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Iraq. "The common denominator in all problems we are facing in the so-called South Neighbourhood - Syria, Iraq and Libya - is the dispute over existing countries - the dissolution and the tendency towards dissolution of existing states and changes on the map, through the transformation of a terrorist organisation lilke the notorious ISIL into a terrorist state."

The minister also said that he had an opportunity to speak with the newly-installed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, when he attended the installation ceremonies on Thursday.

"Turkey, because of its geographic location, is a component of all the problems and we want it to become a component of the solution to the problems," he noted. "Greek-Turkish relations depend to a large degree on the solution to the Cyprus issue, a just and viable solution. It will now become obvious whether there is a will and readiness to take the necessary steps," he added.

Earlier in the day, the governmental aircraft which Venizelos was boarding made an emergency landing at Thessaloniki airport due to a fragmented pilot's cockpit window.

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