France's Breton declines to be drawn on EADS chief

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) French Finance Minister Thierry Breton said he would meet EADS co-chairman Manfred Bischoff today to discuss the fallout from a crisis over delivery delays at the parent of planemaker Airbus.

Breton, in an interview with radio station France Inter, also sidestepped a question on the future of EADS Chief Executive Noel Forgeard, whose position is under attack after the A380 delivery delays sparked an EADS share price collapse.

Asked whether he had confidence in Forgeard, Breton replied that the institution in which he had confidence was the AMF stock market regulator, which is conducting a probe after Forgeard and other EADS executives sold off shares before the company announced the problems at Airbus.

He also said he would reserve his position for other shareholders in EADS, which is partly controlled by Lagardere and DaimlerChrysler as well as the French state.

Forgeard has denied doing anything wrong.

REUTERS SI BD1223