U.K. Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said Thursday that it was important to keep an open mind on the options for General Motors Corp.'s (GMGMQ) European operations.

"We all have to keep an open mind to other possibilities throughout this negotiation," Mandelson said on BBC television.

Canadian-Austrian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. (MGA) has proposed to buy GM's European units, which include car makers Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in the U.K.

However, U.K. officials are concerned Vauxhall would bear more than its fair share of job losses if GM's European operations were consolidated after a Magna takeover.

-By Natasha Brereton, Dow Jones Newswires, +44-20-7842-9254, natasha.brereton@dowjones.com