French nuclear reactor maker Areva is not expected to cut jobs in France, the French industry minister told Reuters, after Agence France-Presse reported that Areva was planning to reduce its French workforce by 1,000 positions.

No job cuts in France are expected at Areva, Eric Besson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

AFP, citing unnamed sources, reported that state-owned Areva would cut between 2,700 and 2,900 jobs as part of a plan to lower costs by at least 500 million euros ($675 million) a year, with more than 1,000 staff cuts seen in France.

Areva, which has been reviewing its investments since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan hit confidence in the industry, will reportedly also slash investments through 2016 by 40 percent and sell assets including its 26 percent stake in mining group Eramet, according to AFP.

A spokeswoman for Areva refused to comment. Areva Chief Executive Luc Oursel, who took the reins in June, is due to present a plan in mid-December.

The AFP report said that the cuts would affect more than 1,000 jobs in France, the world's most nuclear-dependent country, and 1,300 in Germany. While no plants would be closed in France, AFP said, the company would shutter two sites in the United States and one in Belgium.

(Reporting By Jean-Baptiste Vey; Writing by Lionel Laurent; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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