Monte Paschi says delaying state aid repayment is an option

MILAN (Reuters) - Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena could seek to put back repayment of hundreds of millions of euros in state aid to help shore up its balance sheet and could also consider a merger, the chairman of the troubled Italian lender said on Tuesday. Monte dei Paschi Chairman Alessandro Profumo and Chief Executive Fabrizio Viola held meetings in the Economy Ministry on Monday to seek options for the bank after it failed European Central Bank stress tests. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Profumo confirmed the meetings had discussed the possibility of reviewing the deadlines connected with the repayment of 750 million euros of state aid and said the option should be taken seriously. "I think it is right to consider this option too," he said. Asked if a merger was one of the options considered by the bank, Profumo said: "Obviously there is also this one." He added that there had been no contacts with potential buyers or investors and said no decision had been taken yet. He said the bank could exist "within the framework of a wider setting" within three years but declined to be more specific about possible scenarios. (Reporting by Silvia Aloisi and Luca Trogni; editing by James Mackenzie)