UPDATE 2-Brookfield says meaningful creditor in GGP

* Brookfield says held talks to assist GGP reorganization

* Says GGP should exit bankruptcy as a stand-alone firm

* Says it's a "meaningful creditor" of GGP (Recasts to emphasize credit status, all figures in U.S. dollars)

TORONTO, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Brookfield Asset Management, a global property investor, said on Monday it is a meaningful creditor in bankrupt U.S. mall operator General Growth Properties and has held talks to assist it in its reorganization.

Denis Couture, a spokesman for the Canadian asset manager, told Reuters on Monday that Brookfield has become a significant creditor of General Growth GGWPQ.PK. But he would neither confirm nor deny a report last week that Brookfield had purchased close to $1 billion of General Growth's unsecured debt in recent months.

"Brookfield has held discussions with GGP Growth about assisting the company in its reorganization and providing it with capital in that regard," Couture said, adding that they were not in talks per se.

"There's no denying the fact that we've acquired a very significant stake but we are not commenting on the amount," he said.

Couture also said the Canadian asset manager believed the interests of stakeholders would be best served if General Growth emerged from bankruptcy protection as a stand-alone company, to pursue an objective of being a leading mall owner and operator.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Brookfield (BAMa.TO) was buying up unsecured debt in the company to position itself to buy the company or some of its malls.

Brookfield's comments on Monday show its interest is not in a piecemeal sell-off of the once mighty mall operator.

Newspaper reports last week said General Growth is also said to be the target of Simon Property Group Inc (SPG.N), which has bought some of General Growth's bank debt and bonds to position itself to take a run at the company.

Brookfield has stakes in property, renewable power and infrastructure worldwide, with about $90 billion of assets under management.

(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Peter Galloway and Richard Chang)