Rome - Iran must decide by the end of Monday whether it will attend a Group of Eight (G8) meeting which is set to focus on conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said.

"Today is Monday, and thus it is obvious that if no reply is forthcoming (from Iran) then it would implicitly mean that they have declined," Frattini said about the invitation to Iran.

Italy, which currently holds the G8 presidency, invited Iran to attend a session - devoted to Afghanistan and Pakistan - of a G8 foreign ministers meeting scheduled to begin Thursday in the northeastern Italian city of Trieste.

The invitation is seen as bid by the G8 - United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Russia - to encourage Iran to play a role in promoting stability in neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Frattini has indicated it he hopes Iran will be ready to cooperate in regulating borders, combating drug trafficking and reconstructing Afghanistan. (dpa)