PARIS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici on Tursday said the country raised 451 million euros (614 million U.S. dollars) from the sale of 1 percent of the stake of European aerospace company Airbus Group.
Hailing the success of the operation, Moscovici, in a statement, noted that the sale "is part of an active management policy of state interests in line with the new doctrine of the state shareholder."
The sale of the 8 million Airbus Group shares, via an accelerated placement with institutional investors, brought France's voting rights to 11 percent like German state, following a Franco-German ownership shakeup announced last year.
Speaking to BFM business channel, Fabrice Bregier, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, ruled out any eventual impact of the capital raise on the group's activity.
"It will not change anything because you know that there is a new governance of Airbus Group since about one year ... I think it's a good thing that the state can make a profit ... and invest in other sectors," he said.
Sale of Airbus stake was France's latest divestment to garner more receipts and trim budget gap after offering for sale its shares in aerospace group Safran and airport operator Aeroport de Paris. (1 euro = 1.36 U.S. dollars)
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