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UPDATE 3-German minister may head to U.S. for Opel talks

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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* Guttenberg says he expects Opel offers from Fiat, Magna * Germany's Merkel, others to meet on Wednesday-report * Fiat CEO visits Opel headquarters, to meet union-report * Fiat would dump Lancia in an Opel deal-report (Adds Marchionne to meet German union on Tuesday) MUNICH/FRANKFURT, Germany, May 18 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg could travel to the United States at the end of the week to discuss solutions for General Motors (GM.N) unit Opel, his ministry said on Monday. "The economy ministry will send a delegation to the United States at the end of the week, if -- after a first examination of the proposals from potential investors -- it makes sense to do so," a spokesman said, adding Guttenberg could head the team. The German government has given investors interested in Opel until Wednesday to submit their offers for the carmaker, and Guttenberg said he expected offers from Italian carmaker Fiat (FIA.MI) and Austrian-Canadian Magna MFa.TO. He did not say whether there were other interested parties. GM Europe has said it needs to cut costs by $1.2 billion to return German brand Opel to profit by 2011. It has also said it needs 3.3 billion euros ($4.5 billion) in state aid from European governments to avert job cuts and site closures. Opel's future has become a hot political topic ahead of German elections in September, and Berlin wants to find a quick solution. Ultimately, GM will decide which investor gets Opel, but it has said the German government will play a big role. A group of politicians including Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Guttenberg will meet on Wednesday to discuss their next move on Opel, Financial Times Deutschland said, citing sources close to the government. FIAT'S PUSH Pushing his own proposal, Fiat's Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne met with Opel's management at the German unit's heardquarters in Ruesselsheim on Monday and toured its research and development centre, a person familiar with the matter said. He will also meet with powerful German union IG Metall's head Berthold Huber on Tuesday, German daily Handelsblatt reported, citing sources close to the company and the union.

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