Europe unsure on elusive Greek deal

European equities are expected to open to lackluster trade Thursday on hopes that a reforms-for-aid deal between Greece and its lenders is getting nearer.

Talks between Greece and its lenders and euro zone partners continued in Brussels Wednesday, with the Greek government saying it's looking to draft an agreement with creditors that would pave the way for aid.

But European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis appeared to pour cold water on the remarks, saying the two sides still had some way to go before any agreement could be drawn up, Reuters reported.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble made similar comments to ARD Television, saying he was surprised by the upbeat tone from Greek officials.

Meanwhile, at the Group of Seven (G7) meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs, Greece was on the agenda in discussions, as well as talks on how to revive global growth. The talks continue until Friday.

The FIFA scandal over alleged corruption among top officials in the global football governing body continues to unfold. Russia, which is due to host the World Cup in 2018 and whose bidding process to host the competition is now under investigation, hit back at the U.S. for the charges.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the arrests of officials with the soccer governing body FIFA appeared to be an illegal attempt by the U.S. to impose its laws on foreign states.

On Thursday, the 65th FIFA Congress opens in Zurich ahead of the body's presidential election tomorrow, a controversial event given the current charges.

In earnings news, Alpha Bank and the National Bank of Greece will report first quarter earnings and economic and business sentiment data from the euro zone is due at 10:00 GMT.