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NATO should not be present in Moldova — president

"There should not be any NATO in Moldova, since that is the principal position of at least two thirds of citizens" of the country, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said

Moldovan President Igor Dodon Vadim Denisov/TASS

Moldovan President Igor Dodon

© Vadim Denisov/TASS

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President says Moldova should have friendly relations with Russia, EU, neighboring states

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. NATO should not be present in Moldova as the status of a non-aligned state is still the country’s principal position, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said in an exclusive interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman.

"As for the military sphere, our neutral status is fundamental. There should not be any NATO in Moldova, since that is the principal position of at least two thirds of citizens of the Republic of Moldova," he said.

"We cannot afford to make friends with someone against someone. Everybody should realize this. I reiterate both in CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] and Brussels that we will be friends with both the West and Russia, but we will not be friends with Europe or America against Russia. We do not need it," Dodon stressed.

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