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Prime minister Vlad Filat described as "absurd" assertions that Moldova wants to withdraw from the CIS and to become a NATO member. Chisinau, November 19 (Interfax-AVN) - Seeking integration with the European Union, Moldova sees Russia and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States as its political and economic partners, and highly values relations already established with these countries, Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat said.

"European integration is a direction, chosen by Moldova, but it will not harm cooperation with Russia and other traditional partners," Filat said in an interview with Interfax ahead of a meeting of CIS prime ministers to be held in Yalta on Friday under the Moldovan prime minister's chairmanship.

Filat described as "absurd" assertions that Moldova wants to withdraw from the CIS and to become a NATO member.

"Since I became prime minister a month ago, I have become tired of denying all of these assertions. We do not plan to join NATO. The Constitution says in clear terms that Moldova is a neutral country. One does not have to be a lawyer to understand that this norm cannot be changed in principle. But we are interested in cooperation with the Alliance, and so is Russia, by the way. We will broaden multilateral cooperation," Filat said.