Greece plans to make early repayments of up to 5 billion euros from the bailout loans to Eurozone countries this year as it seeks to return to normalcy after the debt crisis of the previous decade, two government officials told Reuters.

An official who requested anonymity told Reuters that the government plans to repay 2.5 – 5 billion euros to Eurozone countries “most likely during the second half of the year.”

The same official stated that this would help the country create room for more bond issuances without increasing its debt, while adding liquidity to the Greek bond market.

Approximately 70% of Greek debt is held by its official creditors, the Eurozone and the European Central Bank.

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A second official confirmed the amount and the timeline.

With this payment, Greece will have repaid approximately 15 to 17 billion euros of the initial bailout loans this year.

In 2022, Greece repaid the IMF two years ahead of schedule, and in 2023, it repaid 5 billion euros of loans to Eurozone countries.