Greek government-debt crisis

Greek cement maker Titan said on Thursday its third-quarter net profit more than tripled, helped by foreign exchange gains from a weakening euro.

Responsibilities for tax-related affairs are to be transferred from Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis to Deputy Finance Minister Giorgos Mavraganis, according to a decision by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, and Hardouvelis, which was published in the Government Gazette.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras hailed statistical data released on Friday showing that Greece has exited a six-year recession, claiming that his government's pledges of growth had been realized and declaring that "Greece is back."

Greece's economy emerged from a prolonged austerity-led recession as early as the first quarter this year and expanded in the next two quarters as well, data showed on Friday.

This is the first time published data has shown Greece emerging from the crippling recession it sank into when its debt crisis exploded, forcing the country to seek aid from foreign lenders.

Greek MPs are to vote at noon on Friday on a revised bill revoking the extension of a payment scheme foreseeing up to 100 installments for debtors to include property tax and income tax installments.

PASOK officials on Thursday downplayed comments by former Prime Minister George Papandreou which suggested he might soon seek a return to frontline politics.

The government is doing its best to convince the troika to return to Athens and resume its latest review, with officials having sent inspectors responses to a 19-point to-do list and with a vote due in Parliament on Friday on a revised version of a bill facilitating debtors.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras may seek a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu next month, his party suggested on Thursday.

Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras was open to a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who is scheduled to visit Athens on December 5 and 6, SYRIZA spokesman Panos Skourletis said on Thursday.

The Turkish premier is expected to join his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras in co-chairing the third session of the Greek-Turkish High-Level Cooperation Council.

Greek bonds rose on Wednesday, with the 10-year yield falling 13 basis points to 8.04 percent, a day after Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos (photo) said that Greece aims to complete a review of its finances with its troika of creditors by December 8.

Trading of Greek government debt through the electronic secondary securities market, or HDAT, was 23 million euros on Tuesday.