13 November 2009 - 08H54  

French economy grows 0.3 pct in 3Q: minister
A new apartment block under construction in western France. France's economy grew 0.3 percent in the third quarter, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said during a visit to Singapore Friday
A new apartment block under construction in western France. France's economy grew 0.3 percent in the third quarter, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said during a visit to Singapore Friday

AFP - France's economy grew 0.3 percent in the third quarter, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said during a visit to Singapore Friday.

The figure is the same as in the second quarter, when France's economy expanded for the first time after four quarters of contraction.

The minister gave the figure shortly before the release by the INSEE national statistics agency of its GDP estimate for the third quarter of 2009.

"I'm happy with 0.3 percent," Lagarde said. "In the fourth quarter, I think we will again be in the positive, I think the year will end well."

In October, INSEE had forecast third quarter growth of 0.5 percent.

The French government is predicting negative economic growth of -2.25 percent for the whole of 2009, due to the fierce recession of 2008 and early 2009.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said the French economy could grow 1.5 percent in 2010.

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