Berri also expressed confidence that various Lebanese factions would cooperate to form a national-unity Cabinet which "guarantees the country's stability."
Berri said the opposition and the parliamentary majority "reshuffled cards" when March 14 supported his re-election for the post of speaker and in return the opposition supported the appointment of Hariri as prime minister.
Following their talks, Berri and Hariri walked together to one of the restaurants in Downtown Beirut to have lunch.
Sharing Berri's optimism, Future Movement MP Nuhad al-Mashnouq told The Daily Star on Wednesday that the upcoming cabinet "will be formed before the end of the month."
Mashnouq added that the cabinet's make-up would not grant either March 14 "an absolute majority" nor the opposition "veto power."
Tackling motives behind the speeding-up of the cabinet formation process, a source close to Hariri told The Daily Star on Wednesday that opposition groups were "pressured by regional countries to facilitate the establishment of the next Cabinet."
The source said the formation of the cabinet would probably coincide with Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz's visit to Syria later this month, adding that the March 14 coalition will "receive half of the Cabinet's seats while the opposition would be granted ten ministerial seats and [President Michel] Sleiman five."
Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) head MP Walid Jumblatt said on Wednesday that Hariri will hold talks with Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus following the formation of the new government.
Similar to Berri, Jumblatt expressed optimism about the prompt formation of the government.
In a statement to Kuwaiti newspaper Awan to be published on Thursday, Jumblatt called for a gathering that would join with the Future Movement, Amal and Hizbullah.
"I call for the formation of a gathering joining with the Future Movement, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah so as to fortify the Muslim base in Beirut and its suburbs," Jumblatt said.
The PSP leader asked the Christians "not to fear" his call given the "conservative policies" adopted by of the United States and Israel that were trying to "detach the Palestinian cause from the Arab-Israeli conflict in order to divide the Arab world."
Regarding the timing of his visit to Syria, Jumblatt said "nothing was decided yet," adding that he would tackle his relations with Syria in "my own way."
Commenting on a report published by German magazine Der Spiegel regarding a Hizbullah connection to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Jumblatt underscored that "accusing Hizbullah of having a role in the murder" was a "trap" to the Lebanese people.
When asked about media reports on Wednesday hinting to a probable meeting between Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun and Jumblatt, PSP media attachŽ Rami al-Rayess said no official date has been set.
Nevertheless, Rayess stressed during a telephone interview with The Daily Star that Jumblatt expressed openness to all parties and such a meeting was "possible."
Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the March 14 expressed support on Wednesday for the formation of a national-unity Cabinet that would include seats for the opposition, adding that "at this critical point in Lebanon's history such a partnership is a necessity."
The statement issued following the coalition's weekly meeting, stressed that Hariri and Sleiman should cooperate to eliminate obstacles facing the Cabinet's formation, "however without granting the opposition veto power."
The March 14 members also criticized the violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 by all parties "regionally and domestically."
In other developments, the US president's special envoy to Middle East George Mitchell is expected to hold talks with Lebanese officials before the end of the month to promote the Middle East peace process according to Central News Agency.