Bouygues should explore alternative telecoms tie-up: French minister

French Economy minister Arnaud Montebourg gives a statement to the media at Hamburger Bahnhof museum in Berlin, May 9, 2014. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch·Reuters

FAVERGES, France (Reuters) - France's economy minister on Monday urged Bouygues Telecom to explore tie-up with other operators after it lost out in a battle for control of SFR to rival operator Numericable.

"Consolidation remains our objective," Arnaud Montebourg told reporters. "Bouygues can perfectly well imagine solutions with other operators."

(Reporting by Catherine Lagrange; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Andrew Callus)

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