"I don't want to comment or speculate on press reports, but what is clear is that we have a position on Opel and the minister has always said that the aim must be to keep jobs, sites and also research and development in Germany," the spokesman told a regular government news conference.

Le Monde newspaper reported on Tuesday that France's PSA was looking to sell part of Opel's R&D operations to help to restore profitability to the loss-making unit.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Michael Nienaber)