BERLIN (AP) -- German state and federal government officials met in Berlin on Monday to discuss the future of General Motors Co.'s unit Opel, for which two rival bids have been proposed.
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday reiterated the government's preference for an offer from a consortium of Canadian car parts maker Magna International Inc. and Russian lender Sberbank.
Neither Magna nor the competing bidder, investment company Brussels-based RHJ International SA, attended the Monday meeting, which ended after several hours.
No statements were made after the meeting adjourned.
Economy Ministry spokesman Stefan Moritz said ahead of the meeting that it was an opportunity for working groups from the federal and state governments to come together to analyze both offers more closely.
He said, however, that the final decision on which to accept lies with General Motors.
Last week, Magna reworked its offer, addressing concerns of the parent company. GM said it would review the offers further in the coming days, but didn't say when it would come to a decision.
Merkel said Magna wasn't just a financial investor, but had a "long-term interest to build cars with Opel."
Though the final decision on which bidder will wind up with Opel rests in the hands of GM, the German government can decide if -- and to what degree -- it will provide the new owner with financial assistance.
