State leader says Volkswagen solutions needed to shield local industry

​Volkswagen's stakeholders must ​work together ‌on solutions ​for the auto group in order to ‌shield the industry in its home state, the state premier of Lower ‌Saxony said on Monday.

"Lower Saxony ‌is automotive country... and this must remain so," State Premier Olaf Lies ⁠said ​at ⁠the VW factory in Hanover, one of ⁠five belonging to the group that ​are threatened with closure.

Lies, who sits ⁠on the company's supervisory board together with ⁠the ​owner families and labour representatives, said they must work ⁠together to find ways to keep ⁠manufacturing ⁠in the region, either of cars or other products.