Germany welcomes Greek bond move; says Athens must consolidate trust

Germany's finance ministry on Tuesday welcomed a move by Greece to sell debt to private investors for the first time in three years, saying Greece now needed to stabilise trust, bolster reforms and complete a third bailout review on time.

"The return of Greece to the capital markets was and is the goal of the ongoing adjustment programme. We therefore welcome the fact that Greece has the chance to return to the market on a step-by-step basis," a ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.

"Now it must cement newly won trust, further strengthen reforms and complete the coming third programme review on time," she said.

Long-term implementation of reforms and credibility were essential to secure the enduring trust of markets, she added.

Athens says Tuesday's sale of a new five-year bond is a test run to ensure Greece can rely on market funding next year.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)