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ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has canceled a trip to Azerbaijan to attend the signing of two energy deals after his government plane malfunctioned soon after takeoff.
The air force said a problem with the Embraer jet's flaps caused it to return to Elefsina military airport Monday afternoon, and that it can't be fixed in time for Samaras and other Cabinet officials to attend the Tuesday morning signing ceremony in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
The deals involve the Azeri state energy company Socar's purchase of Greece's natural gas network operator, Desfa, and a deal for the inauguration of a pipeline that will carry Azeri gas through Greece and Albania to Italy.
It was not immediately known if the event would be rescheduled.
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