Barbaso told a news conference after the talks that Croatia had now entered a new stage of relations with the European Union, after starting accession talks with the Union on 3 October.
Now that the negotiations have started and screening is under way, it is time for reforms. This can be a very difficult period because reforms, which Croatia has decided to implement on its own in order to join the EU, can be demanding, Barbaso said.
It is important that Croatian citizens realise that this is a process on which the country decided in a bid to ensure democracy, stability and prosperity not only for the current generation but also for future generations, the EC official said.
Minister Grabar Kitarovic told reporters that Barbaso and she had discussed the 2005 Progress Report on Croatia which the EC published on Wednesday.
The talks focused on what the Croatian government, the state administration and the judiciary must do in the coming period so as to address pressing issues in given areas.
Assessing that the Progress Report was generally positive, the minister said that the document noted progress which the country had done in meeting the EU membership criteria and also outlined areas where Zagreb should make additional efforts.
According to her, Croatia will send the EC its response to the report in writing.
In this sense we shall point out some issues which have in the meantime been solved or where some progress has been made or where there is lack of information. We shall continue discussing issues of top priority and we hope that we shall be given logistic and other assistance from the European Commission and EU member-states, Grabar-Kitarovic said.
She announced that the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry as well as other relevant ministries would update a national programme for Croatia's integration with the EU in order to adopt elements which the European Commission described as short-term priorities in the document called Accession Partnership.
Also on Wednesday, the EC issued the Accession Partnership recommending what Croatia should do in the next two years as part of if efforts to integrate with the EU.
The short-term priorities cover the implementation of a strategy and action plan for judicial reform, including a national strategy for preventing and combating corruption. Croatia is urged to accelerate the implementation of the Constitutional Law on National Minorities and ensure proportional representation of minorities in local government units as well as in state administration and judicial bodies. It is also urged to complete the process of refugee return, "including all cases of repossession, reconstruction and housing care for former occupancy/tenancy rights holders".
Another priority is to "maintain full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".
Croatia is also urged to "work to find definite solutions to pending bilateral issues, in particular border issues with Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina".
Barbaso recalled that two days ago the Commission had reiterated that the EU enlargement was an important part of the European project for the sake of democratisation, stability and economic growth.
After the talks, Barbaso was received by Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
The EC official also met Croatian parliamentarians and members of the national committee in charge of monitoring the EU entry talks.