ROME (Reuters) - Italy is looking for a merger deal to cut its stake in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Wednesday.

Giorgetti said the government wanted to follow "the same logic" for MPS as was used for the deal between ITA Airways and Germany's Lufthansa.

The German carrier on Wednesday won conditional approval by the European Commission to buy a 41% stake in ITA, with a view to acquire full control at a later stage.

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante, writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Crispian Balmer)