Spain's two-year notes advanced for the first time in five daysafter the nation's borrowing costs fell at a bill sale, fuelingoptimism the nation can contain its debt crisis.

Italy's notes also rose as it auctioned 3.75 billion euros($4.71 billion) of zero-coupon and inflation-linked securities.Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is hosting European UnionPresident Herman Van Rompuy for the first in a series of meetingsaimed at helping the nation fulfill its funding needs. EuropeanCentral Bank policy makers are due to decide on interest rates nextweek. Finland prepared to sell 4 billion euros of 10-year benchmarksecurities via banks.

“We've had some pretty positive auction results,” said BrianBarry, an analyst at Investec Bank Plc in London. “They illustratedemand for short-dated paper has remained relatively strong.”