Belgian PM sees potential buyers for Kaupthing arm

BRUSSELS, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said on Friday several parties were interested in buying the Luxembourg arm of troubled Icelandic bank Kaupthing KAUP.IC, offering hope to Belgians with savings there.

"There are several serious takeover candidates for Kaupthing Bank (Luxembourg) but we must remain cautious," Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme told a news conference after meeting a group of Belgian savers.

He did not specify who the potential buyers were and Kaupthing Bank Luxembourg was not immediately available for comment.

Belgian accounts are held by the Luxembourg arm of Kaupthing and their money was frozen last month by Luxembourg's financial regulator after the Icelandic parent company was taken over by the Icelandic state.

The Belgian government, which has bailed out two of the country's biggest banks and provided money for the third, said Kaupthing's customers would receive an initial maximum of 20,000 euros from their accounts on Dec. 1. "It is possible that that date moves slightly if a buyer is found," Leterme said.

The government had not decided what the eventual upper limit of guarantees would be. (Reporting by Antonia van de Velde; Editing by David Holmes)