Italy president says to speak to Monti about political crisis

ROME Dec 7 (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said he would speak to Prime Minister Mario Monti as soon as possible about the future of his government, whose term ends early next year, after meeting political party leaders on Friday.

Napolitano said leaders of former premier Silvio Berlusconi's PDL party had informed him that they believed the Monti government had reached its conclusion though they wanted to contribute to an orderly end of the legislature.

"President Napolitano trusts that while fully respecting the different political sensibilities and positions, it should be possible to reach a constructive and correct path at the institutional level in the interests of the country and its international image," his office said in a statement.