CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GIVES LECTURE AT COLLEGE OF EUROPE

BRUGES, Feb 27 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula held a lecture about Croatia's bids aimed at drawing closer to the European Union for College of Europe students in Belgium's Bruges on Thursday evening. #L# Picula said he expected Croatia would become an actual candidate for EU membership very soon and that this would spur reforms in the country. Candidate status would also increase Croatia's chances of getting additional means from the Union's pre-admission programmes, he said. During a debate after the lecture, about 100 very well-informed students from several European countries asked questions about Croatia's programme of accessing the EU, the difficulties awaiting it on that road, its stands on an expanded Europe, the situation in the region, the work of the Convention on Europe's Future, and transatlantic relations in light of the Iraqi crisis. One of the questions was how informed Croatia's citizens were about the Union. Picula presented data from a recent public opinion poll according to which more than 95 percent of Croatians knew about the EU, 43 percent thought they knew enough and 76 percent supported entry. College of Europe is currently attended by two Croatian women, while about 20 Croatians have finished post-graduate studies there to date. (hina) ha