Spain's Canarias region seeks 757 million euro financial aid

Spain's Canarias region said on Friday it would seek 757 million euros ($989 million) in aid from the central government to repay its debts and finance its deficit.

A spokesman for the regional government said the announcement was made by the head of regional finances, Javier Gonzalez Ortiz, during a news conference on Friday afternoon.

Canarias is the sixth Spanish region to tap an 18 billion euro liquidity fund set up by the central government to cover the financing needs of autonomous communities that are shut out of capital markets.

The regions of Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, Andalucia and Castilla La Mancha have already said they would seek a combined 15 billion euros in aid.

(Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by Tracy Rucinski)

(The story was refiled to correct paragraph 3 to say ... billion ..., not... million)