There is no indication that the U.S. and Germany have contrasting preferences on bids for General Motors Corp.'s (GM) local unit, Adam Opel GmbH, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday.

Speaking after a meeting of her conservative party, Merkel said it isn't up to Germany to take any independent decision on Opel but the owners - GM and the U.S. state.

"If the Americans have a different preference than we on a European level for example, and nothing is pointing toward this, but if this were the case than we are only able to make a contribution toward what might be more or less interesting to the American side by for example awarding guarantees," Merkel told reporters.

"But if the decision will be made for example for Fiat [F.MI], which wants to fully disintegrate from General Motors, then it must be an American decision if the GM and the U.S. government actually want this," she added.

Web site: www.bundesregierung.de

-By Andrea Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; +49-30-288-8410; andrea.thomas@dowjones.com