France to coordinate choice of next IMF head by end July

CHANTILLY, France - France will coordinate European talks on the choice of the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund with the aim to find a candidate by the end of the month, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday.

Speaking at the end of a G7 finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting in the town of Chantilly north of Paris, Le Maire told reporters the successor to Christine Lagarde, who will take over the European Central Bank, would be European, but refused to name any possible candidates.

"France will continue to coordinate efforts to find a consensus candidate... until the end of July," he told a news conference.

(Reporting By Myriam Rivet and Jan Strupczewski) ((jan.strupczewski@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 68 37; Reuters Messaging: jan.strupczewski.reuters.com@reuters.net))