Moving to show it has overcome the worst of its financial troubles, Greece issued bonds on global financial markets on Tuesday for the first time in years, in an offering that institutional investors eagerly snapped up.

The sale of five-year bonds, which raised 3 billion euros, or $3.5 billion, was intended to show that Greece may be able to stand on its own two feet again when its current international bailout, worth €86 billion, expires in August 2018.

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have had to support Greece with a staggering €326 billion in financial lifelines since 2010, when Athens was shut off from borrowing in global markets during Europe’s financial crisis.

Greek and European officials hailed the bond sale on Tuesday as a milestone for a troubled country that nearly left the euro twice since the crisis began, threatening to break up the currency union.