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UPDATE 1-Nissan CEO says no need to change Renault alliance after French govt ups stake

* No need to change capital alliance with Renault - Nissan's Ghosn

* Nissan set aside enough funds to cover Takata-linked recalls -Ghosn (Adds Ghosn comments on Takata, background)

By Maki Shiraki

YOKOHAMA, Japan, May 18 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Ltd CEO Carlos Ghosn said on Monday he did not think there was any need to change the automaker's capital alliance with Renault at present after France raised its stake and voting rights in Renault last month.

The government of France, which owns almost 20 percent of Renault, has said it wants to safeguard French interests at the automaker, which is deepening its ties with Nissan. However, Renault has warned that the government's move could damage the alliance.

Ghosn, speaking to reporters in Japan, said the capital alliance between Nissan and Renault was "stable" and had "zero influence" on the automakers' daily operations.

Since Renault rescued Nissan from bankruptcy in 1999, the Japanese carmaker has outgrown its parent to account for two-thirds of their combined 8 million vehicle sales and a bigger share of profit.

Ghosn also said that Nissan had allocated sufficient funds to cover recalls linked to Takata Corp's faulty air bags. He declined to say how much the company had put aside to cover additional recall costs.

Nissan expanded its Takata-related recalls last week as a precautionary measure, along with Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd.

Roughly 31 million cars have been recalled worldwide since 2008 over Takata air bag inflators, which can erupt with too much force, spraying shrapnel inside the car. (Writing by Mari Saito; Editing by Chris Gallagher and Miral Fahmy)