Italian PM says government never considered leaving the euro

CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) - Italy has never considered leaving the European Union or the single currency, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday.

"I can assure you that we have never evaluated an exit from the euro ... or the prospect of splitting from Europe," Conte told the Ambrosetti business forum in Cernobbio.

He added that he had never discussed such a possibility with deputy prime ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio who head, respectively, the far right League party and the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement.

The anti-austerity and anti-European rhetoric of Italy's new government had rekindled euro breakdown fears in recent months.

(Reporting by Mark Bendeich; writing by Valentina Za; editing by Jason Neely)