<p>Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said on Thursday there was a "real desire" at the helm of the carmaker's alliance with Nissan to make it a success, dismissing suggestions the two-decade partnership might be on the rocks.</p>.<p>The Franco-Japanese alliance, long dogged by internal rivalries, was thrown into turmoil by the November 2018 arrest in Tokyo of its architect and long-time boss Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial crimes, which he denies.</p>.<p>Attempts to restore calm have recently been thwarted by Ghosn's dramatic flight from Japanese justice and a series of no-holds-barred allegations he has made from his refuge in Lebanon, including that he was the victim of a plot to oust him and that the alliance is now a "masquerade".</p>.<p>Nissan has vigorously denied any suggestion of a plot, while both the Japanese firm and Renault have rubbished suggestions their 20-year-old partnership is falling apart.</p>.<p>"We have a board overseeing the alliance which is made up of people who are all extremely in favour of the alliance," Senard told a briefing with reporters, defending the changes he has made since joining Renault after Ghosn's arrest.</p>.<p>"There is a common desire to associate our strategic plans and a real desire to make this alliance a success," he added, describing reports that Nissan was working on scenarios for a possible future outside of the alliance as "fake news."</p>.<p>The 66-year-old repeatedly declined to comment on anything related to Ghosn, adding: "I only think about the future."</p>.<p><strong>Joint Projects</strong></p>.<p>Senard, who used to run tyre maker Michelin, has become the de facto senior figure in the alliance, though without the commander-in-chief aura Ghosn had, which had helped hold the partnership together.</p>.<p>While that is partly deliberate - as both parties are keen to avoid another Ghosn-style strongman and created a four-member operating board to oversee the alliance for example - Senard will have to deliver on launching joint new projects.</p>.<p>Senard said the alliance's board would meet by the end of January to decide on industrial initiatives, which are moving into focus as management revamp moves towards completion.</p>.<p>A new CEO started at Nissan in December, and Renault is in the midst of seeking a new CEO after ousting Ghosn-ally Thierry Bollore in October.</p>.<p>Luca de Meo, who recently stepped down as the head of Volkswagen's Seat brand, is seen as the frontrunner, although a non-compete clause in his contract is proving a problem, sources close to the matter have told Reuters.</p>.<p>Interim CEO Clotilde Delbos is also in the frame.</p>.<p>Senard said Renault's board would likely meet soon to discuss the appointment, but added there was no urgency as the interim arrangements were working well.</p>.<p>Analysts view Renault-Nissan's cost-saving alliance as vital to both companies' fortunes as the car industry battles a slowdown in demand and huge investments in cleaner vehicles and automated driving, particularly as rivals PSA and Fiat Chrysler are merging to help meet these challenges.</p>.<p>Renault held unsuccessful talks with Fiat Chrysler last year, causing some ructions within Nissan. Ghosn described the failure to secure a deal as a huge missed opportunity.</p>.<p>Senard, who chairs the alliance's operating board, said that once the partnership had been stabilised, it could become attractive to other potential partners.</p>.<p>Asked whether the shareholding structure of the partnership could change, Senard said it was not necessarily set in stone, but was also not a major priority.</p>.<p>Renault, which counts the French state as one of its big investors, has 43% of Nissan, while the Japanese firm has 15% of the French carmaker, with no voting rights attached - a structure that has caused friction between the partners. </p>
<p>Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said on Thursday there was a "real desire" at the helm of the carmaker's alliance with Nissan to make it a success, dismissing suggestions the two-decade partnership might be on the rocks.</p>.<p>The Franco-Japanese alliance, long dogged by internal rivalries, was thrown into turmoil by the November 2018 arrest in Tokyo of its architect and long-time boss Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial crimes, which he denies.</p>.<p>Attempts to restore calm have recently been thwarted by Ghosn's dramatic flight from Japanese justice and a series of no-holds-barred allegations he has made from his refuge in Lebanon, including that he was the victim of a plot to oust him and that the alliance is now a "masquerade".</p>.<p>Nissan has vigorously denied any suggestion of a plot, while both the Japanese firm and Renault have rubbished suggestions their 20-year-old partnership is falling apart.</p>.<p>"We have a board overseeing the alliance which is made up of people who are all extremely in favour of the alliance," Senard told a briefing with reporters, defending the changes he has made since joining Renault after Ghosn's arrest.</p>.<p>"There is a common desire to associate our strategic plans and a real desire to make this alliance a success," he added, describing reports that Nissan was working on scenarios for a possible future outside of the alliance as "fake news."</p>.<p>The 66-year-old repeatedly declined to comment on anything related to Ghosn, adding: "I only think about the future."</p>.<p><strong>Joint Projects</strong></p>.<p>Senard, who used to run tyre maker Michelin, has become the de facto senior figure in the alliance, though without the commander-in-chief aura Ghosn had, which had helped hold the partnership together.</p>.<p>While that is partly deliberate - as both parties are keen to avoid another Ghosn-style strongman and created a four-member operating board to oversee the alliance for example - Senard will have to deliver on launching joint new projects.</p>.<p>Senard said the alliance's board would meet by the end of January to decide on industrial initiatives, which are moving into focus as management revamp moves towards completion.</p>.<p>A new CEO started at Nissan in December, and Renault is in the midst of seeking a new CEO after ousting Ghosn-ally Thierry Bollore in October.</p>.<p>Luca de Meo, who recently stepped down as the head of Volkswagen's Seat brand, is seen as the frontrunner, although a non-compete clause in his contract is proving a problem, sources close to the matter have told Reuters.</p>.<p>Interim CEO Clotilde Delbos is also in the frame.</p>.<p>Senard said Renault's board would likely meet soon to discuss the appointment, but added there was no urgency as the interim arrangements were working well.</p>.<p>Analysts view Renault-Nissan's cost-saving alliance as vital to both companies' fortunes as the car industry battles a slowdown in demand and huge investments in cleaner vehicles and automated driving, particularly as rivals PSA and Fiat Chrysler are merging to help meet these challenges.</p>.<p>Renault held unsuccessful talks with Fiat Chrysler last year, causing some ructions within Nissan. Ghosn described the failure to secure a deal as a huge missed opportunity.</p>.<p>Senard, who chairs the alliance's operating board, said that once the partnership had been stabilised, it could become attractive to other potential partners.</p>.<p>Asked whether the shareholding structure of the partnership could change, Senard said it was not necessarily set in stone, but was also not a major priority.</p>.<p>Renault, which counts the French state as one of its big investors, has 43% of Nissan, while the Japanese firm has 15% of the French carmaker, with no voting rights attached - a structure that has caused friction between the partners. </p>