Greek stock exchange to reopen

The Athens stock market is to reopen at some time this week marking a return to relative normality for Greece.

Earlier today, Greece gained the European Central Bank's approval to reopen its stock market after a one-month closure that came with the imposition of a bank holiday on Greek banks and capital controls.

Thanks to the lifting of some capital controls on July 24, Greek commercial banks able to authorize bill payments to other countries of up to €100,000, up from €50,000, which means Greek companies can start importing raw materials and other goods again.

"The commission will convene tomorrow morning to decide if the Athens Stock Exchange will reopen on Wednesday or Thursday," the chairman of Hellenic Capital Market Commission Konstantinos Botopoulos told Reuters.

Greek regulators on Monday offered the ECB two plans for the re-opening: one allowing unrestricted trading, the same as proposed last week, and a second that imposed restrictions on trading by Greek investors to prevent capital fleeing banks, sources said earlier.

Foreign investors will not have any limitations on trading.

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