NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a call on Thursday for the de-escalation of tension in the Aegean.

Asked about a recent incident involving Greek and Turkish patrol boats near the Imia islets during a press briefing in Brussels, Stoltenberg said that it had dominated his meetings with the defence ministers of Greece and Turkey.

"I welcome the fact that the two prime ministers spoke on the phone and appeal for the continuation of contacts in order to avoid similar incidents in the future," he said adding that both countries are "valuable allies".

"We want to do our utmost to avoid real problems and the escalation of conflict and tension between them," he said.