(MENAFN- AFP) European equities closed mixed on Monday as the markets wait while Greek debt crisis talks plod on, with the country facing a key debt repayment deadline this week.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies finished down 0.44 percent at 6,953.58 points.
In the eurozone, the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.35 percent to end the day at 5,025.30 points, and Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.19 percent to close at 11,436.05 points.
"European equity markets traded mixed during the first session of the month, as concerns regarding Greece's debt issues continue to weigh on market sentiment," said Myrto Sokou, senior research analyst at Sucden Financial.
"Greece remains at the centre of concerns," added Andrea Tueni, analyst at Saxo Banque.
The European single currency slipped to $1.0910 from $1.0991 late in New York on Friday.
Greece is up against a deadline on Friday to pay the International Monetary Fund 300 million euros ($340 million) -- with fears that it does not have the funds and will default, possibly setting off a chain of events that end with a messy exit from the euro.
"The Greek crisis will soon reach a new crunch point as 300 million euros is due to be repaid to the IMF on Friday. Greece may not be able to make or delay this payment," said Kevin Ferriter at research firm Capital Economics.
"What's more, its negotiations with the IMF have been going nowhere due to sticking points such as pension cuts," he added.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Sunday attacked the country's creditors for insisting on what he described as absurd reforms which have only held up progress in negotiations for a deal aimed at preventing a default.
"The lack of an agreement so far is not due to the supposed intransigent, uncompromising and incomprehensible Greek stance," Tsipras wrote in a column published by French newspaper Le Monde.
Later Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker were to discuss Greece at a dinner in Berlin.
- Precipice 48 hours closer -
Greece has been locked in talks with its creditors -- the European Union, the IMF and the European Central Bank -- in a bid to release 7.2 billion euros in remaining bailout funds.
However, a deal has so far proved elusive as the creditors are demanding greater reforms in return for the cash, which Tsipras's government -- elected on an anti-austerity platform -- has refused to match.
"The new week begins as the last one ended, with Greece and its creditors still needing some sort of deal. The difference is we are 48 hours closer to the precipice," warned IG analyst Chris Beauchamp.
US stocks rose slightly Monday helped by Dow blue chip Intel's $16.7 billion deal to buy rival chipmaker Altera.
Around mid-day in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.04 percent to 18,018.58 points.
The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.02 percent to 2,107.75, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.05 percent at 5,072.50.
In Asia on Monday, Tokyo stocks chalked up a 12th straight gain -- their best run in more than a quarter of a century -- while Shanghai and Hong Kong rebounded as data indicated a pick-up in Chinese manufacturing.
Tokyo recovered from initial losses to end marginally higher, adding 6.72 points to 20,569.87 points. The 12 days of gains marked the best rally since 1988 at the height of Japan's stock market bubble.
Shanghai, which plunged almost seven percent over Thursday and Friday, jumped 4.71 percent. Hong Kong added 0.63 percent, but Sydney dropped 0.72 percent and Seoul fell 0.59 percent.
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