ATHENS - Debt-laden Greece raised on Tuesday 1.3 billion euros ($1.72 billion) in a new treasury bills auction, according to an announcement of the Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA).

The 13-week treasury bills were sold at an interest rate of 4.25 percent, lower than the 4.61 percent secured during a similar sale in February.

PDMA officials had set a target of one billion euros for Tuesday's auction, but demand was stronger.

The treasury bill sale followed a deal with private holders of Greek bonds to ease the Greek sovereign debt burden by some 100 billion euros.

Athens also managed to secure a second multi-billion euro aid package by the International Monetary Fund and European counterparts, the second one of its kind since 2010, to avoid a chaotic default that could also send shockwaves across the European and global economy.

Besides the international rescue loans, Greece runs a monthly treasury bills sale program to meet its financing needs after it was shut out of international markets.