Frenchman Mr Jean Lemierre will be able to meet the numerous challenges facing him over the next four years in his new term as head of the EBRD, France's Finance Ministry said today.
It welcomed Mr Lemierre's re-election at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in a written statement, but did not say how it would affect his bid for the top job at the International Monetary Fund.
Noting that numerous challenges faced the EBRD, it said: "France is sure that Jean Lemierre will be able to meet these challenges over the next four years."
A decision on Europe's nomination for the IMF top job is expected to be made this week before or at the Spring meetings of the Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
France and Germany say they want MR Lemierre to succeed Mr Horst Koehler as the IMF's managing director but Mr Rodrigo Rato, a former Spanish finance minister, is winning ground from a number of Europe's smaller countries.
The United States is also privately backing Mr Rato and Britain has also been reported to favour the Spaniard, whose administration was a strong supporter of the US-led war in Iraq.