Washington - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited leaders from automaker Opel to talks on Monday to discuss the company's financial status.

On Friday, the car company requested credit guarantees from the government, saying it wants the guarantees to counter a downturn in car orders. However, the unit of General Motors Corp, which itself is seeking a US government bailout, said it was facing no liquidity problems.

"It is important that we consult about the proper steps to take so we can try to support the automobile industry," said Merkel on the sidelines of the global financial summit in Washington.

Merkel invited the German and European heads of Opel, as well as workers' representatives. Meetings with Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck and Economics Minister Michael Glos are scheduled for Tuesday.

"This way, we'll get familiar with the situation step by step and search for solutions," she said.

Opel has not named a sum for the guarantees it is seeking. Kurt Beck, the prime minister of the western state of Rhineland- Palatinate, has said the company is seeking about 1 billion euros (1.27 billion dollars).

The state government of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate have already signalled that they could take part in the loan guarantees.

An Opel spokesman has said the company would only make use of the guarantees if the situation of its parent company deteriorated to the point that production and project development at its German subsidiary was affected.

Opel, which employs 25,700 workers, and other German carmakers, such as Daimler and BMW, have announced temporary closures of factories to cut costs after a huge drop in orders.

On Saturday, the German trade weekly Automobilwoche reported that Daimler plans to cut production of its luxury Mercedes line by 150,000 vehicles in 2009.