Magna and Russian partners will surely win the bid for Opel, IG Metall trade union head Berthold Huber has said.

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Meanwhile, Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin reiterated that state-owned banking group Sberbank would support Magna in the Opel takeover but should set up production sites in Russia after a while, Financial Times Deutschland said.


Opel is also negotiating with the German government over state aid and has received advice from Commerzbank on financing its business, an insider told the paper.


Magna has this week increased pressure on General Motors (GM) to reach an accord on the Opel sale.


“We are aiming for the date of 15 July to present documents” that would seal a deal, Magna general director Siegried Wolf told the daily Rheinische Post in comments published on Thursday.

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“We are on the right path,” Wolf added, according to AFP.


Last weekend, the head of GM Europe, Carl-Peter Forster, said Magna had a “considerable lead” on other bidders, and voiced optimism that an accord with the Canadian group, which is backed by Russian capital, would be reached by mid-July, both reports noted.

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