At a joint press conference following a two-hour meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, "We had a very substantive exchange of views on the situation resulting from Iran's nuclear activities."

The foreign ministers continue to "be seriously concerned" about Iran's nuclear program and Iran's failure to take the steps as required of Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, Steinmeier said.

On February 4, the IAEA Board of Governors approved a resolution, asking Iran to take steps to suspend all enrichment and related reprocessing activities, including research and development.

He said the foreign ministers welcomed the fact that the UN Security Council has reached agreement on a Presidential Statement with the objective of reinforcing the IAEA process.

The UN statement "sends a strong signal to Iran to take the steps required by the IAEA Board," he said, adding that the international community would remain ready to find a diplomatic solution and agree to continue our close consultations on the issue.

Also speaking at the press conference, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo said that the Iran nuclear issue is one of the most difficult issues in the world and "there needs time and patience to resolve it."

"It can only be resolved through peaceful means. The situation in the Middle East is already chaotic and cannot be more chaotic," he told reporters.

He hopes the Berlin meeting will be conducive to strengthening the role and authority of the IAEA in resolving the Iran nuclear issue.

Dai's position was echoed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

When asked by reporters on whether Iran is a threat to the region as deemed by the United States, Lavrov said facts from the IAEA are needed.

"If you say it is a threat, you need basic facts to prove it," he said. "These facts can only be provided by the IAEA ... The key to the problem is the work of the IAEA."

Stressing that the international community is "united" in demanding Iran to suspend enrichment activities, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said her country supports all diplomatic efforts in resolving the issue.

She said she hopes Tehran choose "negotiation, not confrontation."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also took part in the meeting.

Germany has been part of the European trio, along with Britain and France, to try to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program over the past years.

The meeting came one day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement calling on Iran to resume suspension of all uranium enrichment-related activities within 30 days.

The statement noted "with serious concern" that the IAEA "was unable to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran."

It called on Iran to take steps to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful purpose of its nuclear program and to resolve outstanding questions.

It underlined "the particular importance of re-establishing full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA."

IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei will in 30 days deliver a new report to the IAEA board of governors and the Security Council on Iran's compliance with IAEA demands, including the suspension of its enrichment activities.