French Budget Minister Valerie Pecresse said on Wednesday France has kept its growth forecast at 0.7 percent this year despite pessimistic estimate of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"We maintain the growth forecast. We are very pleased to see the IMF upward revision for 2012 forecast," the minister said after a weekly cabinet meeting.

France eyes to accelerate growth by 0.7 percent this year and to 1.75 percent in 2013, while the IMF, considering the targets too optimistic, on Tuesday raised its growth forecast for France to 0.5 percent in 2012 and to 1 percent in 2013.

The IMF said in a report that recovery of European countries is still not guaranteed, pointing to the need to implement budgetary consolidation program and to adopt structural reforms to restore competitiveness of the European economies.