IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomes the announcement today by U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, expressing the readiness of the U.S. Government to join the EU-Iran talks once Iran responds positively to the IAEA Board of Governor′s call for the suspension of enrichment-related and reprocessing activities as a confidence-building measure. Dr. ElBaradei strongly encourages Iran to create the conditions necessary for the resumption of these talks, with U.S. participation, with a view to achieving a comprehensive settlement that is acceptable to both the international community and Iran.