ECB official: Governments could get bond profits

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A top European Central Bank official says the bank could pay any profits on the Greek bonds it holds to member governments who could then use it to help bail out the struggling country.

Benoit Coeure is saying that "if there is a profit...it will be distributed to governments. "

He says they "could use it to contribute to the sustainability of Greek debt."

The ECB bought Greek bonds at well below face value in 2010 in an effort to lower interest rates. The question of what to do with any profits has come up as officials try to find additional funding for Greece's second bailout.

The bank has ruled out taking losses by joining private investors in a proposed agreement to reduce the face value of Greek bonds by 50 percent.