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.

However, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said there were limits to what his government could do to support Volkswagen, adding that the structure and viability of a business was down to company policy.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has expressed his intention to assist Volkswagen in navigating its cost-cutting phase without resorting to site closures. This comes amid negotiations with unions over wage agreements and potential plant shutdowns.

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,

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