ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday she had never discussed with Elon Musk a potential deal to use his Starlink to supply secure communications for the military.

Meloni, who has a good relationship with Musk, said the national interest was 'the only lens' through which she judged such potential contracts with SpaceX, the owner of Starlink.

Reportedly worth 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) and spread over five years, the project has been sharply criticised by opposition parties questioning whether the handling of such communications should be entrusted to a Musk company.

"We are simply in the investigative phase, which is why I don't understand all the accusations that have been made. I'll tell you more: I don't even personally have clear ideas on this matter," Meloni told a press conference.

"Is the problem with SpaceX, the fact that it's a private company or the political ideas of Elon Musk?," she added.