"Maybe (expansion) will come at one stage but we have seen a real priority to do our homework and to expand and leverage on our existing footprint," Brigitte Bourgoin, executive vice-president international, said in an interview.

When asked at a telecoms conference in Cape Town if Orange had held takeover talks with MTN or if it planned to do so, she said: "I am not aware".

MTN said in October it was in talks which could affect its share price, leading to market speculation that it could fall prey to a foreign operator with Orange as a possible candidate.

MTN said last week that the talks were over but declined to say who they had been talking to.

Bourgoin, who heads Orange's businesses outside France and Britain, said that she was not ruling out acquisitions but was not personally aware of any plans in Africa.

Bourgoin said Orange had no plans to withdraw from its joint venture with Orascom in Egypt, Mobilnil, and no plans to delist the company - a plan that was floated last month by Orascom head Naguib Sawaris.

Orange and Orascom own 67,6 per cent of MobiNil.

The remaining 32,4 per cent is listed in Cairo.

Orascom has been short-listed as a possible bidder for a majority stake in Nigerian national phone carrier Nitel as well as for Turkish mobile phone company Telsim.

- Nampa-Reuters

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