People in Moldova have backed the Eastern European country's proposed changes to its constitution and commitment to joining the EU by the thinnest of margins in a referendum. Official data put Yes on 50.46% and No on 49.54% on Monday afternoon, with more than 99.6% of votes counted.

Preliminary results showed that Moldovans narrowly backed a referendum to join the European Union in a vote critics said was marred by Russian influence.

A narrow vote in favor of opening a path to EU membership in the tiny economy of Moldova highlights Russia’s influence that remains strong in the region. The former Soviet republic sought to break the Kremlin’s decade’s-long grip,