The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed
ElBaradei urged Iran yesterday to stop its uranium enrichment program
to facilitate the resumption of the nuclear talks with the European Union (EU)
and the United States.
Iran was strongly urged "to create the conditions necessary for the
resumption of these talks with U.S. participation," ElBaradei said in a
statement.
The IAEA demanded that Iran stop its uranium enrichment and reprocessing
activities as a way of building trust, he added.
Elbaradei made the remarks after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
said the United States would join the EU in talks with Iran as soon as the
IAEA's requirements were met.
Tehran defied the April deadline set by the UN Security Councilto suspend its
uranium enrichment, announcing last month that it had succeeded in enriching
uranium and that it was doing research on advanced enrichment.
However, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Malaysia on
Tuesday that his country was ready to restart nuclear negotiations with the EU.
Meanwhile, to seek a solution for Iran's nuclear standoff, foreign ministers
from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany are
scheduled to meet in Vienna on Thursday to discuss proposals by the EU.
The EU has put forward a package of both incentives, including providing a
light-water reactor to Iran, and possible penalties if Tehran fails to
cooperate.