Greek shares edged back in early trading on Monday, after having made a strong recovery over last week that took Athens’ benchmark equity index back to its highest level in around two months.
Athens’ benchmark ATG equity index, which had risen 5.6 per cent on Friday, slipped back by 4.4 per cent on Monday.
The Athens Stock Exchange FTSE Banks Index, which had also risen 12.7 per cent on Friday, fell 8.3 per cent.
Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a radio interview on Monday that he was not very optimistic that Greece and its euro zone partners would reach a debt agreement at a meeting in Brussels later in the day.
Greece’s finance minister and his euro zone peers, together with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, will discuss on Monday how to proceed with Greece’s bailout programme, which runs out on February 28. Talks are expected to begin at 1400 GMT.