Le Maire also said on French CNews TV that media reports that some Nissan executives wanted to break up the alliance with Renault were "malicious".

Nissan said on Tuesday it was "in no way" considering dissolving its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors and that the alliance was the source of Nissan's competitiveness.

(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Matthieu Protard, Editing by Louise Heavens)

By Benoit Van Overstraeten