New Moldovan govt has no plans to unite with Romania, quit CIS

"The dilemma whom to side with - NATO or the CIS - is not the main task of the new ruling coalition "Alliance for European Integration," said Ghimpu.

"If our country, by some quirk of fate, found itself in the CIS, we cannot cut off this fact 'with scissors'," the speaker said.

The Moldovan leadership is making every effort to hold the CIS summit in Chisinau at top level in October.

Speaking about integration in NATO, Ghimpu told reporters "NATO is not on the first floor of the parliament building" and it is not expecting Moldova to join.

He made it clear, the alliance is not inviting Moldova, given its problem with territorial integrity.

Ghimpu rejected the statements accusing him of the intention to unite Moldova with Romania.

"This decision contradicts the parliamentary resolution under which visas are opened for all EU citizens, and Romania is a EU member," Ghimpu said, adding that he was confident, the ethnic groups in Moldova would be happy with the decision to annul visas; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.