CHISINAU, November 11. /TASS/. Moldova is interested in closer cooperation with NATO, but hopes to keep its neutral state status, speaker of the Moldovan parliament Andrian Candu said on Wednesday.

"Moldova is interested in strengthening cooperation with NATO and in assistance the organisation provide to our country, in case of remaining neutral status," Candu said at a session of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly in Moldovan capital Chisinau.

"Moldavia will follow the rout of integration into the European Union despite any difficulties," Candu said. "Our country face complicated period because of internal problems, but we will remain our adherence to the European direction."

According to public opinion polls, the majority of Moldovans does not support the country’s NATO entry and considers the neutral status to be the best way of providing the state’s security. Despite the fact, the government cooperates with the organisation in the format of the Moldova-NATO individual partnership plan signed in 2006.