Germany, France want Galileo solution by end Nov

BERLIN, Nov 12 (Reuters) Germany and France want to reach an agreement on funding for the planned Galileo satellite system by the end of November, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today.

Speaking at a joint news conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin, Merkel said both countries wanted to find a solution for the European satellite project.

''Germany and France want to go ahead with this project. We do not want to delay it,'' Merkel said, adding that European Union transport ministers were aiming to put forward concrete proposals by November.

The two countries have been trying to sort out their differences on the system, which aims to compete with the U.S.

Global Positioning System (GPS).

Germany has resisted agreeing to using EU public funding to plug a hole in the project's budget, largely because it wants a guarantee that German firms will get a major share of the work, building satellites and launchers.

REUTERS PD HT1955