Siemens expects to start talks with US authorities to settle bribery allegations as early as next month, a clear sign the German industrial group wants to put the sprawling scandal behind it in 2008. This would let chief executive Peter Löscher, who took charge of a scandal-shaken management board last spring, to focus on maintaining the group’s good performance as the global economic outlook dims.

Before Thursday’s annual meeting, he said “more and more experts” were predicting a US recession and this would “have consequences” for Siemens, although sales should still grow twice as fast as the global economy.