German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday that he wants to help Volkswagen get through a period of cost-cutting without having to resort to site closures, reflecting concerns about the country's biggest carmaker.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has called on Volkswagen to refrain from factory closures. "The locations should be preserved," he said during a visit to the VW plant in the north-western city of Emden.

Volkswagen said earlier this month it needed significant restructuring to stay competitive, and was considering shutting sites in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history

Germany wants to support Volkswagen and help it avoid factory closures but the ailing car giant will have to fix most of its problems itself, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Friday. "The majority of the tasks will have to be solved by Volkswagen itself,

In view of the crisis in the German automobile industry, Economy Minister Robert Habeck is inviting stakeholders to a "car summit" next Monday. Habeck has invited the automotive industry to an exchange on the current situation,