Brussels, 09/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Commission, which recommended last year that the Council open accession talks with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), considers “it is time now” for Greece and FYROM to finally reach a solution to the problem of using the name “Macedonia”, José Manuel Barroso said after a meeting with the Macedonian president, Gjorgje Ivanov, on Thursday 9 September in Brussels. Greece, as everyone knows, is determined to block FYROM membership talks until there is a satisfactory agreement on the matter. Both parties must act in a “European spirit” and find a compromise, the Commission president stressed. He said he was “encouraged” by the fact that the gap between the two countries had closed somewhat in recent months and that a “better climate” now reigned between them. He said that, with real political will on both sides, there is no reason why they cannot succeed. Barroso takes the view, however, that it is not “wise” to speculate on possible dates for triggering accession talks. Ivanov has stressed that European integration is his country's greatest priority. “I trust that Greece will act in a European way” for resolving this name problem, Ivanov said. (H.B./transl.jl)