Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Asselborn said that Croatia had a few more days left to prove it was fully cooperating with the ICTY.
Cooperation of all Western Balkan countries with the Hague tribunal is a precondition for their accession to the European Union, the minister said.
As far as Croatia is concerned, we must make a decision on March 16 and now we are making preparations for that meeting, he added.
Today's consultations with del Ponte were the last before a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers on March 16 when it will decide whether or not membership talks with Croatia will open on March 17.
Close contacts with the ICTY are of special importance to the EU, and that is why today's meeting with the chief prosecutor was very important, Asselborn said.
A report by del Ponte on whether Croatia is fully cooperating with the tribunal will be crucial for the decision of the EU Council of Ministers on opening entry talks. The decision will be discussed at a meeting of COREPER, the committee of permanent representatives of EU member states, in Brussels on March 10.
Del Ponte did not speak to the press after the meeting, as had been announced before the meeting.
Her spokeswoman, Florence Hartmann, told Hina by telephone that the meeting was part of regular consultations and that there were no special statements.
Asked if the chief prosecutor had changed her position since her last report to the Luxembourg EU Presidency, Hartmann said: "If there are any changes, they will be visible." She added that this meant locating fugitive Croatian army general Ante Gotovina and transferring him to The Hague.
"As far as the tribunal is concerned, what has to be done as part of full cooperation has not been done yet," Hartmann stressed.
Del Ponte submitted a report to the Luxembourg EU Presidency on February 11, saying that Gotovina was within reach of Croatian authorities and that without his appearance in The Hague it could not be said that Croatia was fully cooperating with the tribunal.
At a summit on December 17, 2004, the European Council set March 17, 2005 as the date for the start of accession talks with Croatia provided that it fully cooperated with the Hague tribunal.