Special report: Iran nuclear crisis

    VIENNA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei urged Iran on Wednesday 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. Enditem