Updated

The European Union says nuclear experts from Iran and six world powers had "a useful meeting" in New York ahead of high-level political talks next week aimed at reaching an agreement to limit Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons.

An EU spokesperson said Wednesday night that the talks aimed at "further deepening" knowledge on the issues and contributed to preparations for next week's high-level negotiations on a comprehensive agreement in Vienna.

Iran's U.N. Mission said the two-day experts meeting ended Wednesday. Hamid Baeidinejad, the Foreign Ministry's director for political and international security affairs who led the Iranian delegation, did not comment on the talks.

Russia, the U.N. nuclear agency and outside experts tracking negotiations agree that the Iranians are cooperating and appear to want an agreement that ends crippling sanctions.