French finance minister Thierry Breton said on Thursday the government was not using its 15% stake in Renault to influence a possible alliance with General Motors.

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“I want to repeat that it’s up to the companies in which we are shareholders…to define their strategies. It’s not for the state as a minority shareholder to say you have to do this or that,” Breton told a news conference, according to Reuters.


The news agency said he had been asked what the state’s view might be of a possible tie up between Renault, its Japanese partner Nissan and GM, after the French car maker said this week it was open to talks with GM if the US company wanted them.

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