It was a pleasure and an honour to take part in a very successful working lunch with a strong woman who is required to adopt strong solutions in Croatia at this moment. We mostly talked about the need to combat corruption, which can be done only with an independent judiciary and an independent public prosecutor who is combating corruption, regardless of the political party, family or person involved, Reding said after meeting Kosor.

Working like that, Kosor will build a strong Croatia in which integrity prevails and where judicial independence is normal, which is especially good for business, for Croatian children and their future, said Reding.

I'm pleased that you have such a strong woman for PM to do that job, she underlined.

"I am really pleased with this conversation. I also received personal support in everything I am doing, but I also pointed out that we are doing it first and foremost for our own sake, for our children, as we really want a Croatian state in which everyone will work, get a job, and educate themselves thanks to their abilities and not how much they can pay to achieve their goals," said Kosor.

She voiced confidence that Croatia would meet by the end of the year all benchmarks in the "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights" chapter in its European Union accession negotiations.

Kosor said it was realistic to expect the chapter to be closed early next year.

Reding said that in that chapter, which she described as sensitive and huge, the EC did not analyse only words but concrete steps as well, so that Croatia's judiciary could develop to be independent, fair and prompt.

I have seen huge progress in this area, but there is still a lot of work ahead, and we agreed that we must go in the right direction together, because that would be excellent for Croatia and for Europe, she said.

During her Brussels visit, Kosor is also scheduled to meet Belgian PM Yves Leterme and EC President Jose Manuel Barroso.