Volvo would have no trouble relying solely on its Swedish investors if Renault decided to sell its stake in the company, the automaker's chairman Louis Schweitzer told a Swedish newspaper on Wednesday.

I see the big Swedish institutions as long-term and stable owners who give the company a good shareholding structure, Schweitzer told business daily Dagens Industri.

Volvo would handle itself well if Renault sold (its stake), added Schweitzer, who also in the interview played down the strength of his links with the French car maker, saying that the only information he got was from the media.

Renault owns a 20.7 percent stake in Volvo.

Last week it signed a partnership deal with Daimler to share engine technology, reviving media speculation the French carmaker might be looking to offload its stake in Volvo.

Schweitzer, formerly the chief executive of Renault, said the Renault-Daimler partnership was not a problem for Volvo as it mostly concerned the market for cars, not trucks.

However, he added that Renault saw its alliance with Japanese carmaker Nissan <7201.T>, in which it owns a 44.4 percent stake, as more vital to its business than the investment in Volvo.

The holding in Volvo could be sold if Renault encountered serious financial difficulties, he said.

(Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)