FILE PHOTO - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire attends a joint news conference with Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra at the Bercy Finance Ministry in Paris, France, March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

PARIS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May must present a clear and credible way out of the turmoil surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union for France to accept a delay, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.

“There is need for clarity on why the delay and how it will in the end facilitate an agreement,” Le Maire told Franceinfo television.

Asked whether a no-deal was inevitable if May failed, Le Maire replied: “I prefer an agreement. But Theresa May should give us the reasons why she wants the delay and these reasons must be credible.”

May is travelling to Berlin and Paris on Tuesday to meet the EU’s two leading power brokers ahead of a crunch summit on Wednesday at which EU leaders will decide on a further extension.