ATHENS: Greece on Wednesday raised 2.5 billion euros ($3 billion) in a 30-year bond sale, the finance ministry said, the first time it has issued such long term debt since overcoming its economic crisis.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said the latest issue “signals our country’s full return to international markets” after Greece’s decade-long crisis.

Greece was forced to accept several international bailouts after borrowing on international debt markets became prohibitively expensive in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.

The ministry did not disclose the rate of return for investors at the sale of the bonds.