Renault is likely to take a 34 per cent stake in Nissan, the daily said. Immediate confirmation is not available. The French carmaker has told Nissan that it is ready to pay up to 500 billion yen ($ 4.2 billion) to buy Nissan's stake, according to sources close to negotiations. "We forecast the negotiations will end successfully," a financial institution having business with Nissan told the daily. "We heard that Renault has already received support from the French government and French financial institutions for collecting the investment," it said.

Renault also showed "strong interest" in obtaining shares in Nissan's truck making affiliate Nissan DieselMotor Co Ltd, it said. Nissan and Renault are also to discuss reorganisation of the two firms and technical cooperation in the environmental sector, it said. It may be recalled that Daimlerchrysler AG had terminated talks with Nissan Motor Co about taking an equity stake in the Japanese car company.

DaimlerChrysler said that the two companies had discussed an equity stake for three months which had centred on strategic and financial options of a tie-up. Conclusion of the talks would not affect DaimlerChrysler's involvement with the commercial vehicle businesses the two companies are engaged in, the German-US transportation group said. DaimlerChrysler has long been rumoured to be interested in taking an equity stake in Nissan Motor either to intensify cooperation in commercial vehicles or as a step towards building up its car business in Asia.