She was addressing the 35th annual conference of the University Association for Contemporary Studies which focuses on past and future European Union enlargement rounds.
Grabar-Kitarovic's talk was entitled "3 D View on the 6th Enlargement".
Speaking of the first D, dynamics, the minister said tiredness from enlargement had been mentioned as the main culprit for the political crisis the EU found itself in after its constitution was rejected at referendums in France and the Netherlands.
She added, however, that the dynamics of the enlargement process must be maintained because a future in Europe was crucial for the stabilisation and democratisation of Southeast Europe.
Speaking of the second D, determination, the minister said it should be demonstrated by EU candidates in implementing the difficult but necessary reforms, but also by member countries in accepting new members.
Grabar-Kitarovic said the only right way was the full meeting of all criteria, adding that Croatia wholeheartedly supported this approach.
She said current EU member states must overcome their resistance to new members, which she added stemmed from the fact that candidate states were being evaluated by their current situation and not how they would be at the end of the process of drawing close to the Union.
Regarding the third D, dialogue, the Croatian minister said it was inevitable for inclusion into the European family. She added this dialogue was three-sided -- within a country, with neighbouring countries, and with the EU.
Grabar-Kitarovic said dialogue within a country took place on three levels -- among politicians, their dialogue with the academic and economic elites, and with the public.
She added dialogue with the public was particularly important and that it was the only means to fight nationalist zealots who spread fear of EU membership by claiming it would stamp out traditions and national feelings.
The minister said dialogue with neighbouring states was crucial for regional cooperation, which she added must be open, effective and without ulterior motives.
She said Croatia supported such cooperation because it wanted all the countries in the region to have a future in Europe, but added Croatia advocated only the individual approach to joining the EU.
The minister said each country must eliminate obstacles and meet all conditions to join the Union, including cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. She added this was why Zagreb objected to attempts to link its path to the EU with Turkey's.
Regarding dialogue with the EU, the minister said it should be constant and that all means should be used to acquaint the European public with the real situation in Croatia and its values so that support for Croatia's accession could exceed the current 52 per cent according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.
Speaking to the press after the speech, Grabar-Kitarovic reiterated that her impression from last week's talks with her EU counterparts in Wales was that they believed that progress had been made in the implementation of the Croatian government's action plan to improve cooperation with the Hague tribunal, especially after the recent arrest of Hrvoje Petrac.
The minister said Croatia was doing everything in its power to achieve full cooperation with the tribunal. She said the EU leadership would decide about opening entry talks with Croatia based on its own estimates, but added the position of chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte remained very important.