Georgia will maintain its AAA bond rating from all three rating agencies.

Gov. Nathan Deal said Thursday that Georgia is one of just eight states with the top rating, which allows the state to keep borrowing costs low.

He said the 2.57 percent interest rates allows the state to realize a savings of nearly $35 million by issuing refunding bonds.

Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch all have assigned their triple-A bond ratings with stable outlook to the state.

Fitch said despite economic weakness brought about by the recession Georgia's "economy has grown rapidly and diversified over time."

Moody's recognized Georgia's "conservative fiscal management, moderate debt burden and well-funded pensions."

Standard and Poor's revised its score of Georgia's financial management practices from "good" to "strong."