President says Moldovans hold EU future in their hands ahead of key election

CHISINAU (Reuters) -President Maia Sandu said on Friday that Moldovans hold in their own hands the fate of the country's bid to join the European Union ahead of a September election in which she hopes her pro-European party will maintain its control over parliament.

Sandu, who wants her country, one of the poorest in Europe, to join the EU by 2030, was speaking at the end of the 27-nation bloc's first summit with Moldova.

Her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is fighting to retain its parliamentary majority in the election against a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party and its allies.

Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. And a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority.

"Prosperity and peace do not occur for nothing, you have to build them. With collective effort and unity. When citizens are united and choose the correct path and proceed along it," Sandu told a news conference at the end of the meeting.

"The European Union is already happening here. The only risk is if we stop. If we decide this autumn that nothing will stop us, then everything is possible."

Sandu and her party have denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuse Moscow of destabilising their country. Russia says many Moldovans want to retain links with Moscow and accuse her of fomenting Russophobia.

Opinion polls show that it will be difficult for any one party to secure a majority in the assembly. Should no majority emerge, talks would have to follow talks with other pro-European parties.

At the summit, attended by the head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, the EU announced the disbursement of the first 270 million euro ($318 million) tranche of an Economic Growth Plan. 

Also announced was an accord to enable Moldovans to communicate by telephone in EU countries without roaming charges, a measure meant to stimulate business contacts.  

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )