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.

Job cuts and possible factory closures at Germany's largest carmaker are a symptom of a wider malaise in Europe's largest economy. VW's faltering electric-vehicle strategy is adding to the company's revenue woes.

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,

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.

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.