By Zeke Turner

 

BERLIN--Germany's government said on Wednesday that it will be involved "as closely as possible" in talks about General Motors Co.'s (GM) sale of its German subsidiary Opel AG.

"Of course it's a business decision that I'm not evaluating here...but the government will form its own opinion," said a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon following the government's cabinet meeting.

"Opel is an innovative company with a long history in Germany," said Steffen Seibert, Ms. Merkel's spokesman. Considering "the consequences for jobs at many locations in Germany, it's clear that we, the government of the Federal Republic, will be involved."

Ms. Merkel's office has not yet received a request for a meeting from Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Peugeot owner PSA Group, Mr. Seibert said.

General Motors Co. said Tuesday it has been considering a sale of its of its beleaguered Opel AG unit to French car maker Peugeot. Opel employs 34,500 people in Europe, with more than 16,500 in Germany.

 

Write to Zeke Turner at zeke.turner@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 15, 2017 07:53 ET (12:53 GMT)

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