Greece pays EUR 4.2 bln to ECB

The EUR 3.5 billion of bond and EUR 700 million of interest payment to the ECB were crucial. Without it, the bank could have been forced to end emergency liquidity assistance to Greek banks, had the government defaulted on its bond payment, according to Reuters.

It also comes after Greece repaid about EUR 2 billion to the International Monetary Fund, clearing all its arrears after missing several payments in June and July.

Athens received EUR 7 billion of temporary or bridge finance facility late last week so it could quickly repay its most urgent debts, even before its EUR 86 billion of bailout was in place.