(Releads with confirmation of talks)
PARIS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Monaco said on Tuesday it was close to a deal to purchase a stake in the newly-privatised Nice airport from the winning consortium led by Italy's Atlantia ATL.MI .
Talks with Nice-Cote d'Azur's new owners "have intensified and should lead to an agreement" that would see the principality buy a 150 million euro ($168 million) holding, Monegasque Finance Minister Jean Castellini told Reuters by email.
Concession operator Atlantia, its Rome airport subsidiary and EDF EDF.PA , the French power utility, agreed in July to purchase a 64 percent stake in the airport, whose privatisation is expected to raise 1.2 billion euros.
BFM television reported earlier that Monaco was seeking a 5 percent holding and also wanted to change the airport's name to Nice-Monaco or Nice Monte-Carlo.
However, Castellini said the name was "not an issue and is not part of the negotiations". ($1 = 0.8928 euros)