Bilbao, Spain - Spain's Basque region on Thursday looked increasingly likely to get its first pro-Spanish government as representatives of two mainstream Spanish parties met in Bilbao to discuss the formation of a new regional government.

The region suffering from the violence of the militant separatist group ETA has been governed by the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), which seeks looser ties with Spain, since it was granted a broad autonomy in 1979.

In the March 1 elections, however, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party increased its support.

The socialists came second after the PNV, which has not been able to find a sufficient number of partners to form a coalition government.

Basque socialist leader Patxi Lopez was now widely expected to become regional prime minister with the support of the conservative People's Party (PP).

The socialists and the PP are at odds in national politics, but are willing to cooperate in the Basque region to fight separatist potential.

There was a "basis" for an agreement allowing for a "significant change" in the Basque region, PP representative Inaki Oyarzabal said after the Bilbao meeting.

The socialists, however, were expected to steer clear of a formal alliance with the PP in an attempt to avoid deepening divisions between nationalists and non-nationalists in Basque society.

A socialist minority government backed by the PP was expected to focus on cornering ETA with all available means, including police and judicial crackdowns and by seeking the social isolation of groups supporting the violent separatists, the daily El Pais reported.

ETA has killed more than 820 people in its campaign for a sovereign Basque state. (dpa)