MILAN (Reuters) - Eni is in "preliminary and non-exclusive" talks with a party that has made a spontaneous expression of interest in the Agi news agency and is ready to consider "any other expression of interest that should be proposed by other parties at this time."

Press rumors have spoken of an interest by Antonio Angelucci, who also owns Libero, Il Giornale, and Il Tempo, a private health care entrepreneur, and a Lega parliamentarian, while more recently the name of Mondadori, the Berlusconi family's publishing group, has been mentioned as a possible alternative.

It was not possible at this time to get a comment from Angelucci or Mondadori.

Meanwhile, the agency's journalists have announced that they will demonstrate tomorrow morning in front of the Pantheon in Rome to reiterate their opposition to the sale to the publishing hub traceable to the Angelucci group.

A new day of strike has been called to coincide with the demonstration, a union statement said. It is the fifth day of strike action as part of a package that includes four others.

In fact, the agency's journalists had already gone on strike last month in connection with press rumors of Angelucci's interest.

"For weeks, the editorial assembly of Agi has been asking the publisher for clarity on the expression of interest received for the possible purchase of the agency and asks the institutions how it is possible that a state-owned company can sell one of its branches of business -- which receives public funds for its conventions -- by private negotiation in the absence of a call for tenders to protect the transparency of the possible transaction," reads today's statement.

"The editors of Agi are also fighting to defend the autonomy and impartiality of primary information," the note continues.

Seventy journalists and 19 polygraphers work for Agi.

(Gianluca Semeraro, editing Claudia Cristoferi)