The president of French cement supplier Ciments Francais, a unit of Italian cement group Italcementi, Rene Nanot, said he was optimistic about the group’s 2006 performance and confirmed ambitions to expand its presence in Europe through certain acquisitions.
 
Nanot said the group will also focus on strengthening its positions in the Mediterranean region, adding that India and China were also interesting markets for Ciments Francais. 
 
Ciments Francais’s president hopes the French construction industry will keep the upward development trend and the slowdown on the US real estate market will be compensated thanks to the launch of big projects and the dynamic local economy.