French state holds 17 pct of BNP Paribas -AMF

PARIS, April 7 (Reuters) - A financial arm of the French government holds 17.03 percent of BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), the country's biggest listed bank, stock market regulator AMF said on Tuesday.

The state's holding is a result of France's decision to give aid to the country's banks to get them to lend money to businesses and consumers and buoy the economy amid the global financial crisis. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Erica Billingham)