PARIS, Nov 23: France expects to receive between 5.0 billion and 10.0 billion euros from the sale by the state of non-strategic financial assets next year, Economy and Finance Minister Thierry Breton said on Thursday.

He told the Senate that the government was banking on “5.0 to 10bn euros in revenues from the sale of non-strategic financial assets by the state in 2007”.

He told the Senate during a hearing on the 2007 budget: “In 2005 and 2006 more than 20bn euros in asset sales will have been applied to lowering French debt.”

He reiterated his government's determination to reduce France's public debt by two points this year to 64.6 per cent of gross national product.—AFP