| Kippreport.com

Daimler says not in touch with Qatar over EADS

September 20, 2011 7:08 by Reuters

Daimler has not been in touch with the Gulf state of Qatar over selling its 7.5 stake in aerospace and defence company EADS , the carmaker said on Monday.

“There have been no talks on our side,” a Daimler spokesman told Reuters. “We do not have anything to do with Qatar.”

A German magazine reported over the weekend that members of Qatar’s government had met with German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler two weeks ago.

Any move by a foreign investor to take a stake in EADS would come as a surprise because maintaining a fragile internal power balance between French and German interests in EADS has been a sensitive topic ever since the group was created.

Daimler aims to cut its stake and has urged the German government to find a solution, but reports have said that Berlin is having trouble finding an investor who would maintain the balance of power at the group.

Qatar has over the last couple of years splashed out on stakes in Porsche Automobil Holding and German builder Hochtief .           (Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner; writing by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)

Tags: Daimler, Daimler bids, Daimler denies qatar bids, Daimler qaTAR