ROME, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The first half results of Monte dei Paschi di Siena will be positive, Italian Economy Minister Daniele Franco said on Wednesday, the day before they will be published by the state-controlled bank. In testimony to parliament, Franco also said the government would not try to engineer a merger of MPS with larger rival Unicredit “at all costs.” “I strongly hope we can close (a deal), but we won’t do so at all costs,” Franco told a panel of lower and upper-house lawmakers. (Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Gavin Jones) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.