PARIS (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomed on Wednesday the release of former Renault boss Carlos Ghosn from jail in Japan.

“Carlos Ghosn is being released. He is a French citizen. He will be able to defend himself with greater ease. So much, the better,” Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.

“But my responsibility as finance and economy minister is to make sure that hundreds of thousands of jobs at Renault and at the Renault-Nissan alliance are protected,” he added.