Greece launched an international tender for a study on the feasibility of a proposed pipeline to carry gas from Israel and Cyprus in an effort to reduce dependence on Russian supplies.

Government vice-president and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Tuesday referred to the results of his visit to Ukraine, the EU Foreign Ministers' Council on the issue of Ukraine, the Cyprus issue and the terrorist attacks in China.

The Cyprus problem was among the issues US President Barak Obama discussed during a phone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan.