"We are working with the aim that the state can remain a minority shareholder, we want a multiple shareholder solution," Hollande said, speaking at a news conference held with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri (>> Fincantieri SpA) has made a bid for STX France, but France - which owns 33 percent of the company - wants to ensure that the French state remains a key stakeholder in the firm.

The head of French state-controlled military shipbuilder DCNS also said last week it was "very likely" that DCNS - in which Thales (>> Thales) has a minority stake - would enter into the capital of STX France. [nP6N18302J]

The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard and is profitable, forms part of a broader sell-off of businesses following the demise of the South Korean STX shipbuilding group.

(Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by John Irish)

Stocks treated in this article : Thales, Fincantieri SpA