Moscow - The Russian government expressed its surprise Wednesday at the decision by US car giant General Motors to hold onto its European subsidiary Opel and not to sell it.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was quoted by the Interfax agency as saying the decision had caused "astonishment in Russia and in particular in the Russian government."

Putin had previously been keen about the prospect of the Russian company Sberbank buying into Opel, seeing it as a unique chance for gaining access to Western technology and in turn helping to revive Russia's stricken automobile industry.

Peskov said the consortium consisting of Sberbank and the Canadian-Austrian firm Magna which was seeking to purchase Opel must now examine the legal situation. But the Russian government would stay on the sidelines.

In announcing its decision Tuesday, GM officials said the US company would directly pursue its "already significant business" in Russia and resume working with the carmaker Gaz to modernize and jointly develop the Russian vehicle market. (dpa)