Greek PM says declining bond yields will help Athens return to markets

[June 21, 2017]  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday he expects government bonds yields to continue to fall, helping the country's plans to return to bond markets.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks during a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim after their meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

"I expect that in the coming period the downward path of (government bond) yields will continue so that very soon we will have the ability to make our first test-exit to the markets on good terms," he told ministers.

Tsipras said euro zone finance ministers at the Eurogroup meeting of June 15 had agreed to support Greece's return to markets so that it will be able to refinance its debt once the bailout ends in August 2018.

Euro zone governments threw Athens another 11th-hour credit lifeline on Thursday worth $9.5 billion and sketched new detail on possible debt relief as the IMF finally offered to help out after two years of hesitation.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos and Lefteris Papadimas)

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