Brussels, 25/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - In an interview to AFP, Branko Lukovac, the Minister for international economic relations for Serbia and Montenegro, expressed his perplexity on the future of the new Union between Serbia and Montenegro, as well as on the chances of joining the EU. While welcoming the recent adoption of the action plan for trade and the internal market by the Serbian and Montenegro parliament (EUROPE 6 September p 4), Mr Lukovac considered the union of Serbia and Montenegro as "fragile" due to the differences between the economic systems of the two republics. Moreover, given that he himself is of Montenegro origin, he informed AFP that, "we have never renounced the idea of independence". Wanting to remain optimistic but cautious, Mr Lukovac added, "We think we're going in the right direction and that what we're doing today for Serbia-Montenegro, will help us later, even if Serbs and people from Montenegro decide to go into the EU separately". AFP also recounted the more abrasive ideas of Milan Pjaevic, a leader from the G 17 political opposition movement, for whom the creation of the Union between Serbia and Montenegro was done, "under EU pressure". He declared that, "Neither Serbia nor Montenegro really want to stay together and this observation is the basis to the uncertainty that could discourage investment and slow down the process of EU integration". He added that the action plan for trade and the internal market would "weaken" companies in Serbia and Montenegro.