Chrysler vice-chairman Jim Press said on Tuesday the auto maker was hopeful the automaker had all the criteria necessary to receive additional U.S. government loans.

Chrysler last month requested $5 billion U.S. government loans to support a turnaround. The automaker plans an alliance with Fiat that would give it access to smaller vehicles while opening the North American market to Fiat.

The deal has not completed.

Press said there was no need for a Geneva meeting with Marchionne as Fiat executives were in Detroit in February at the time that Chrysler filed a viability plan with the U.S. government and they were comfortable with what they saw.

(Writing by David Bailey and Gilles Castonguay)

Chrysler