French foreign minister Fabius says leaving government

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday he was leaving the government.

Fabius, whose departure has long been rumoured, replied "yes" when journalists asked if he was taking part in his final cabinet meeting on Wednesday after four years in the job.

Segolene Royal, the high-profile environment minister and the ex-partner of President Francois Hollande, is among the rumoured successors, but former prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is also believed to be in the frame.

The 69-year-old Fabius, who was France's youngest ever prime minister when he took the role aged 37 in 1984, is expected to take up a position as head of the country's Constitutional Court.

He was widely praised for his role overseeing the successful UN climate negotiations in Paris in December.