Peugeot CEO will consider merger only after turnaround - paper

Reuters
French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares stands on a podium during a visit at the PSA Peugeot Citroen engines factory in Tremery near Metz, North Eastern France, March 27, 2015. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

MILAN (Reuters) - French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen will only be ready for a possible merger after it has completed its recovery plan, CEO Carlos Tavares told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. "(Fiat Chrysler boss) Sergio Marchionne is welcome every time he wants to speak to us but for us it's a little bit early now," Tavares said in an interview published on Tuesday. "We need to finish our cure and recover our good health." Media reports recently suggested Fiat Chrysler was talking to Peugeot and Volkswagen about a potential tie-up. The reports were denied by Fiat and the French and German companies. (Reporting by Valentina Za; editing by Jason Neely)