GM, Nissan To Meet To Discuss Alliance

TOKYO (AP) - Carlos Ghosn, the head of Nissan and Renault, and General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner plan to hold talks this week in Paris as they continue to assess the possibility of an alliance among the three automakers, Nissan said Monday.

''We can confirm that they will meet this week in Paris,'' Nissan spokeswoman Mihoko Takeda said. ''But we are not providing any further details at this time.''

In July, Detroit-based General Motors Corp., Renault SA of France and Nissan Motor Co. of Japan announced a 90-day review of an alliance among them. GM has been stumbling amid intense competition from Asian rivals. It has announced plans to close 12 plants by 2008, slash its work force and cut costs.

Over the weekend, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported that the companies are unlikely to form a capital alliance because of reluctance on the part of GM, whose U.S. sales have shown recent signs of a recovery.

GM's employees and labor union have also voiced opposition to the possible capital linkup with the Nissan-Renault group, the report said, citing unidentified officials. But the Detroit-based company could still cooperate with the French-Japanese group in buying auto parts and materials, the report said.