German Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said Monday after a meeting with Fiat SpA's (F.MI) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne that the Italian automaker wants to forge a global car alliance and plans to enter this new company free of debt.

Zu Guttenberg told reporters that Marchionne sees the need for consolidation if Fiat was to buy General Motors Corp.'s (GM) German unit Opel, adding that the company's German assembly plants and German headquarters would be kept.

German labor unions and several politicians oppose a possible Opel takeover by Fiat amid concerns over wide-ranging cutbacks.

Austrian-Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. (MGA) has also voiced interest in Opel, but the company so far provided little details on any possible investment.

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-By Christoph Rauwald, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 512; christoph.rauwald@dowjones.com