Recent efforts to smooth the frequently volatile ties between neighbors and regional rivals Greece and Turkey are bearing fruit, their foreign ministers said Friday, although significant differences remain between the two countries as they seek ways to prevent spats from escalating dangerously.

Neighbours Greece and Turkey, NATO allies but historic foes, have long been at odds over issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, migration, flights over the Aegean Sea, and the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus.

Issues between NATO allies Turkey and Greece are not limited to disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday,