ATHENS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Greece raised 812.5 million euros (about one billion U.S. dollars) from a treasury bill auction on Wednesday, the Greek Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) said.

The 13-week treasury bills were sold at an interest rate of 0.79 percent, down from the 1.05 percent of a similar previous sale in March, according to an e-mailed press release.

Shut out of international markets since 2010, the debt-ridden country runs a monthly treasury bill auction program to cover maturing debts and meet its financing needs, in parallel to the bailout program.

Greece is expected to fully return to the markets once the current third bailout program ends this summer. (1 euro = 1.24 U.S. dollars)