FRANKFURT, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Commerzbank's

Chief Executive Officer Bettina Orlopp said on Tuesday that

UniCredit "might want more" of the German bank and

this "this wasn't something we chose".

Orlopp said Commerzbank's leadership fully supports its

current strategy, which is "built on the bank's independence".

She made the comments in a video statement to staff during

her first day on the job as the bank's new CEO. It comes after

her meeting on Friday with UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel.

The Italian bank is pressing for a tie-up after it snapped

up a stake in Commerzbank last month, while Germany's No. 2 bank

has been honing its defence against the overture.

"Rest assured, we're working tirelessly with a strong team

of experts to find the best way to deal with UniCredit now and

in the future," she said, according to a transcript of the video

seen by Reuters.

"If we receive any external proposals, we will evaluate them

professionally and fairly, keeping the interests of all

stakeholders ... in mind," she said.