Varin Confirms He is Set to Become Areva Chairman

Former chief of car maker Peugeot Philippe Varin confirmed that the French government plans to propose him as chairman of state-controlled nuclear group Areva's new executive board.

"You know I am being considered to become chairman of Areva, which is a fantastic challenge for me," Varin said in a speech at the shareholders meeting of EDF, where he is becoming a member of the state-controlled utility's board.

He said he would do everything in his power to work closely with new EDF Chief Executive Jean-Bernard Levy to boost complementarity between the two firms.

"We will make the best use of French technology, and first and foremost of the EPR reactor," he said.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; editing by Jason Neely)