French finance minister to meet Vinci to talk airport damages

Tyres are stocked on a wreck on the RD281 road in the zoned ZAD (Deferred Development Zone) in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, after the French government's official announcement to abandon the Grand Ouest Airport (AGO) project in the area, near Nantes, France, January 18, 2018. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

PARIS (Reuters) - France's finance minister on Thursday acknowledged the state would need to compensate construction group Vinci after abandoning plans to build a new airport in the west and said he would meet the company's president later on Thursday.

"There is a cost for the state. I want this cost to be as low as possible for the taxpayer," Bruno Le Maire told reporters. "I am convinced we will find an agreement as soon as possible."