ATHENS — "The moments dictate that there be a national consensus regarding our national issues," underlined Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias after the conclusion of his round of meetings to brief the representatiaves of the parliamentary parties on issues of foreign policy on Thursday.

"It is important that the majority of the parliamentary parties respond to the demand of the times," he added.

As Dendias said, in terms of the agreement with Albania for recourse to The Hague for the delimitation of the maritime zones, it is an agreement widely accepted in both countries.

He also briefed his interlocutors on the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Athens last week, during which the importance of the further strengthening Greece's bilateral relations with Russia was pointed out.

"What I hold on to from the talks is the Russian FM's hugely important statement about Greece's inalienaliable right to extend its territorial waters, as it is clearly provided in the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, to 12 nautical miles in general but also specifically in the Aegean. This statement has special weight as it was made in Athens and is also a statement which dispels the myth regarding Russia's alleged objections to the 12 nautical-mile extension," the minister said.