Italy's lower house of parliament speaker on Monday pledged to focus on "the national interest" in talks on a government between the populist Five-Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) after inconclusive national polls last month.
"I will get to work immediately, and consider it crucial to start from the topics and programme for the country's national interests," said Fico, who belongs to the Five-Star Movement.
He was speaking after Italy's president Sergio Mattarella asked him to hold to hold three days of talks with Five-Star and PD leaders to see if they could muster a parliamentary majority and form a coalition government.
Mattarella told Fico during their meeting that almost two months after the 4 March election, the country needed a new executive "as soon as possible".
He has asked Fico to report back to him on Thursday.
Five-Star is willing to govern with the PD, but Fico is expected to face an uphill task as most PD lawmakers are said to share outgoing party leader Matteo Renzi's view that the party must go into opposition after the centre-left coalition came third in the election.
Renzi announced his resignation after the PD won less than 18.72 percent of votes - its worst-ever election result.
Five-Star is the largest parliamentary party. The centre-right alliance is the biggest bloc in the hung parliament but the PD has enough seats to play kingmaker in a coalition government.
