France and Japan’s leaders met for bilateral talks to avert a diplomatic row over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance on Friday following the surprise arrest of its Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan.
France and Japan’s leaders met for bilateral talks to avert a diplomatic row over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance on Friday following the surprise arrest of its Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan.
With the carmaking alliance facing its biggest test after the ousting of Ghosn as chairman of Nissan and affiliate Mitsubishi over financial misconduct allegations, President Emmanuel Macron sat down with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires.
Ghosn’s arrest to face accusations including the under-reporting of income has triggered new attempts by Nissan to weaken Renault’s control of the Franco-Japanese alliance, adding to challenges facing Macron at home.
Macron, whose government has repeatedly pressed Japan to share evidence unearthed by Nissan’s internal investigation into Ghosn, “restated his firm wish that the alliance should be preserved, along with the stability of the group,” an Elysee official said after Friday’s meeting with Abe.
Abe said it was important to “maintain a stable relationship,” according to a spokesman for the Japanese leader.
