PICULA: CROATIA CAN EXPECT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT

VIENNA, Dec 12 (Hina) - Croatia can expect the support for its foreign political moves next year with certain optimism, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told a press conference in Vienna on Thursday after informing the OSCE Permanent Council on Croatia's intention to submit an application for candidacy for EU membership early next year. #L# Picula informed the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Permanent Council of the Croatian government's achievements in fulfilling international obligations so far. "Croatia is a country which has in a short time achieved significant progress in the eyes of the international community. I am confident that in the final reckoning we have enough reasons to be optimistic in expecting the support for our foreign political moves next year," Picula said "I believe we've managed to show that Croatia is not only declaring good regional cooperation, but it is also exercising it," Picula said. Commenting on Croatia's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the work of Croatia's judiciary, Picula said that some participants in a discussion held before the OSCE Permanent Council expressed disappointment with some recent verdicts. He said that the criticism mainly to impressions of slowness of the Croatian judiciary, while other criticism referred to concrete verdicts - primarily regarding the Lora case, for which it was expected to have a different outcome. During a discussion on the issue of Croatia's candidacy for EU membership nobody voiced any stand because an official application had not yet been submitted. According to Picula, "the European Union and the United States are aware of Croatia's plans regarding the issue and nobody opposes the idea. The standpoint that Croatia wishes to use its candidacy to encourage the completion of processes which were also discussed at today's meeting in Vienna, is spreading. (hina) it sb