PARIS, Dec 14: Top envoys from Afghanistan, neighbouring nations and the world’s great powers agreed on Sunday at a Paris meeting to work more closely to try to restore stability in the war-torn state.

They agreed “that there can be no long-term security and peace in the region without a stable, secure, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan,” according to a statement released at the end of the one-day conference.

The envoys “expressed their support for existing initiatives to reinforce cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours (and) committed to the effective implementation of these initiatives.”

But, apart from a vague agreement “to work more closely to strengthen border security as a key component of counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism”, no concrete measures were announced at the meeting.

The conference was aimed at finding ways to bring Afghanistan out of its seemingly endless state of war, and to urge neighbouring states, in particular Pakistan and Iran, to play a more positive role.

The conference hosts wanted to involve more Afghans in work to stabilise the country, where 70,000 foreign troops under Nato and US command are battling the resurgent Taliban and extremist forces for control.

French officials had played down expectations of rapid progress at the Paris meeting, noting that little new in the way of policy can be decided while the world waits for US president-elect Barack Obama to take office on January 20.

The envoys held a full day of closed-door talks at French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner’s official out-of-town residence at La Celle-Saint-Cloud in the leafy western suburbs of Paris.

Despite Iran’s decision to stay away, Afghanistan and its other immediate neighbours China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were represented at the gathering.

Representatives of regional power India and UN Security Council heavyweights Britain, Russia and the United States also attended.

As G8 members with troops in Afghanistan, Italy and Germany were also present, as was UN Afghanistan envoy Kai Eide, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Walder.—AFP