BRUSSELS // The European Union said a meeting between Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili aimed at restarting formal talks over Tehran's nuclear programme was "useful and constructive."
A brief EU statement said the meeting in Istanbul, which ended earlier today was "an important opportunity to stress once again to Iran the urgent need to make progress." It did not elaborate further.
The statement said Ms Ashton will brief representatives of the 5+1 group of nations - United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany - this week in New York about her efforts to restart negotiations that fizzled in June.
Those governments fear the failure of negotiations could prompt Israel to make good on its threat to attack Tehran's nuclear installations. Tehran denies it is making nuclear weapons.