German chancellor visits Volkswagen plant

Описание: (15 May 2008) SHOTLIST

1. Wide of Volkswagen plant
2. German and Brazilian flag in front of Volkswagen plant
3. Wide of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's car arriving at factory and being greeted by Volkswagen President Martin Winterkorn
4. Children's choir singing
5. Merkel and Winterkorn
5. Various of assembly line
6. Merkel walking into assembly plant and being greeted by factory manager
7. Factory workers
8. Merkel getting into driver's seat of car
9. Cars on assembly line
10. Wide of Merkel, Winterkorn and unveiling new Virtual Reality centre
11. SOUNDBITE: (German) Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany:
"Environmental technologies nowadays are of course used in the production technologies of modern cars. Whoever has had to deal with traffic before, like you must have to in Sao Paulo, knows how important environmental and automobile technology is economically. And Volkswagen finds its itself in a challenging competitive situation. It must adapt."
12. Wide of Merkel and Winterton donating van to local charity
13. Merkel and Winterton

STORYLINE:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Latin America's largest Volkswagen assembly plant on Thursday, hours before departing to Lima for a summit with her European and Latin American counterparts.

Merkel was greeted at the Sao Bernardo plant by a Volkswagen Global president Martin Winterkorn and a choir of singing children in colourful jumpers.

During her visit to the plant, the chancellor inaugurated a new virtual reality wing, which is the German company's largest design centre.

The 4.2 (b) billion US dollar facility will apply new design techniques for various models, including the flex vehicles, which use both gasoline and bioethanol.

Merkel said she was delighted to see the Brazil branch of the company working with cutting edge technology.

"Whoever has had to deal with traffic before, like you must have to in Sao Paulo, knows how important environmental and automobile technology is economically. And Volkswagen finds its itself in a challenging competitive situation. It must adapt," she said.

During her visit, German and Brazilian officials signed an agreement that foresees a joint working group on the cultivation of biofuels.

It is aimed at improving the exchange of information on trade questions, standards and ecological matters.

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