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.

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.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck floated the idea of additional support for the country’s carmakers and will discuss ways to address the challenges facing the embattled sector in talks with executives on Monday in Berlin.

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.

Germany's government is considering ways to support Volkswagen, German economy minister and vice chancellor Robert Habeck said on Thursday, when asked about the threat of job cuts at the country's largest carmaker.

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,

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that Berlin is looking into ways to support ailing carmaker Volkswagen amid the threat of job cuts. The firm has been grappling with weak electric vehicle sales.