Greece yesterday successfully auctioned six-month Treasury bills raising €1.95 billion from the market with the interest rising to 4.90%, compared to 4,82% at the previous auction (November 2010).

According to a Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) announcement, the auction was 3.4 times oversubscribed.

In an interview yesterday on CNBC, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said that within the next two months the European Union will take major decisions "that will once and for all settle the issue of sustainability of debt in the euro zone," calling the crisis "a systemic issue for Europe."

He also reassured investors that "spreads remain where they are because of the broader turbulence of the European markets," rather than a real threat of default.

The Panhellenic Exporters Association announced yesterday that Greek exports growth may have surpassed 7.5% last year, following a surge in exports by around 40% in November.

According to the figures published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, exports grew 39.8% last November, compared with the same month in 2009, surpassing the 24.1% growth rate of October, and totalling 14.206 billion euros in the January-November period. Export growth had initially been estimated at 5%.