(ANSA-AFP) - CHISINAU, OCT 21 - A referendum on Moldova
joining the EU passed with a razor-thin majority on Monday as
pro-Brussels President Maia Sandu blamed the outcome on foreign
meddling in a veiled reference to Russia, which denied the
accusations. The Kremlin called on Sandu to "prove" election
interference in the ex-Soviet republic bordering war-torn
Ukraine and alleged "anomalies" in Moldova's vote count. Sandu
managed to top the first round of presidential elections held at
the same time as the referendum on Sunday, but will face a tough
second round against Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor
backed by the pro-Russian Socialists. Sandu applied for her
country of 2.6 million people to join the European Union
following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. With more than
99 percent of the votes counted, the "yes" vote was slightly
ahead at 50.28 percent -- just 8,000 votes more than the anti-EU
camp. (ANSA-AFP).
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