Greece: 2 banks seeking liquidity assistance, ahead of Jan. 25 national election

ATHENS, Greece – Officials at Greece's central bank say two of the country's lenders are seeking emergency liquidity assistance.

The officials Friday did not comment on reports by state media that Greece's Eurobank and Alphabank had made the request for the assistance but noted the issue would be raised at the European Central Bank's governing meeting on Jan. 22.

The request follows international market turmoil caused by the Swiss removal of a peg between the Swiss franc and the euro, and amid financial uncertainty in Greece ahead of a general election on Jan. 25. The franc has risen strongly and the euro has sunk after Thursday's surprise move by the Swiss National Bank.

Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange were 2.45 percent lower in afternoon trading amid broader losses on European markets.