French industry minister Eric Besson said Tuesday that France Telecom (FTE) Orange's entering into exclusive talks to acquire a 49% stake in French video-sharing website Dailymotion will help the website become a global player in the field of new Internet uses.

Dailymotion has received support from the French state since 2009 through the state-backed investment fund Fonds Strategique d'Investissement's, one of its shareholders, the industry ministry said in a statement, without specifying FSI's current stake in Dailymotion.

The alliance between a leading online video group and a major Internet and mobile services provider will strengthen France's position on the global digital market, particularly on the growing online video segment, Besson said.

France Telecom said earlier Tuesday it has entered in exclusive talks to acquire a 49% stake in Dailymotion for EUR58.8 million, the second deal announced in a week under the group's new content strategy.

-By Angeline Benoit, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 1740; angeline.benoit@dowjones.com