Greece's NBG to issue 2 bln euros of covered bonds

ATHENS Nov 28 (Reuters) - Greece's National Bank (NBGr.AT) is completing a 2.0 billion euro ($2.59 billion) issue of covered bonds on Friday to boost the group's liquidity and has plans for an additional 2.0 billion by the end of the year, an official said.

"We are issuing today 2.0 billion euros in covered bonds as part of a 10 billion euro issuance plan and expect to raise another 2.0 billion by the end of the year," an NBG official who did not want to be named told Reuters.

The liquidity raised will be used to fund lending," the official said.

Another official at National Bank said Deutsche Bank, Unicredit and National's subsidiary NBGI are the arrangers for the issue. (Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Erica Billingham)