It said the agreement with Bouygues allowed the state to exercise its voting rights equal to 20 percent of Alstom's share capital.

"The state will have a series of options allowing it to buy, if it wishes, the shares actually lent by Bouygues," the French economy ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Astrid Wendlandt; editing by John Irish)

Stocks treated in this article : Alstom, BOUYGUES