ATHENS: Greece said it was reopening a 15-year bond issued in January, seeking to capitalise on historically low interest rates to shore up its finances during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Hellenic Republic...has mandated BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Goldman Sachs International Bank (GSIB), HSBC and JP Morgan as Joint Lead Managers for a re-opening of the existing (bonds),” the government said in a stock exchange statement.

“The (syndicated) transaction will be launched in the near future, subject to market conditions,” it added.

Bonds are usually issued a day after such an announcement.

The original sale raised 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) at a yield of 1.875 percent.

The country is emerging from a decade-long financial crisis and regular bond issues are seen as a step toward normalcy.