The Foreign Ministry yesterday expressed its readiness to continue with UN-backed talks aimed at solving a dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) but stopped short of giving a UN mediator its clear support. «Matthew Nimetz is continuing to operate according to his mandate and of course Greece is participating in this effort in a constructive and active way,» ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said. Koumoutsakos was responding to a journalist's question about whether the government still trusts Nimetz in his role following some ambiguous comments and criticism of the historic significance of Alexander the Great.