Iran expects to restart nuke talks with EU

"The atmosphere exists for such negotiations to be held after the Vienna meeting (of the International Atomic Energy Agency)," Mottaki told a news conference. The IAEA board meeting is due to start on Thursday.

Diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday that talks with Iran could resume on December 6. They said discussions would focus on a proposal that Iran transfer to Russia all of its uranium enrichment activities -- a process that can be used to make atomic bombs.

Mottaki said he had spoken by telephone with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Tuesday night to discuss resuming the talks which collapsed in August when Iran broke U.N. seals at its Isfahan nuclear facility and began processing uranium ore.