(Adds quote, details) Feb 21 (Reuters) - French construction...

(Adds quote, details)

Feb 21 (Reuters) - French construction materials group Saint-Gobain SGOB.PA confirmed on Wednesday it was in advanced talks to buy Australian building materials firm CSR Ltd (CSR) .

"The combination is an attractive opportunity for both companies," Saint-Gobain said in a statement, adding that the acquisition would give the French company an opportunity to enter the Australian market.

Saint-Gobain said the offer price is 9.00 Australian dollars ($5.90) cash per share. The non-binding offer was unanimously recommended by the board of CSR, the French company said.

CSR shares rose about 17.4% on Wednesday and were halted for trading. It had a market value of A$3.23 billion ($2.12 billion), as of last close, according to LSEG data. Shares in Saint-Gobain were down 0.73% at 0926 GMT.

Saint-Gobain's statement confirms an earlier report from Bloomberg News.

($1 = 1.5258 Australian dollars)