OSCE MISSION NEEDED UNTIL END OF 2000 AS WITNESS OF PROGRESS

VIENNA, March 22 (Hina) - Croatia needs a credible witnesses of the achieved progress so the mandate of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be protracted until the end of this year, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Vienna on Wednesday after talks with the OSCE chairwoman and Austria's Foreign Minister Benito Ferrero Waldner. "We can hope that problems will be removed by th end of the year, including reasons for an extension of the OSCE Mission mandate next year," Picula said. Picula will on Thursday present the new reference points of Croatia's foreign policy before the OSCE Permanent Council. OSCE chairwoman Waldner confirmed the Mission's mandate in Croatia would be extended until the end of the year, because the OSCE held it could help a lot in the positive development in media freedom, refugee return and human rights. Picula said Croatian projects of refugee return enjoyed the support of the international community. "Most political obstacles for their realisation have been removed, but economic obstacles remain, and here we are hoping for full cooperation of the international community," Picula said. (hina) lml jn