Brussels  - The United States would invite Iran to a regional conference aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan in the coming weeks if the event goes ahead, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.

"If we move forward with such a meeting, it is expected that Iran would be invited," Clinton said after talks with NATO counterparts at the alliance's Brussels headquarters.

At the meeting, Clinton proposed a regional conference with key players such as NATO, the UN, Russia, India and Pakistan aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan.

The conference could be held in a European capital around March 31, but the date remained to be confirmed, diplomatic sources said.

It would offer the first chance for direct talks between the US and Iran after years of diplomatic deadlock over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

Clinton made her proposal at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the Belgian capital. It received a positive response from allies, including Germany, France and Italy.

The secretary of state also told ministers that the strategic review by the US of its Afghan mission would push for a stepping up of efforts on the civilian side.

It would also focus on "realistic and achievable" targets, such as preventing Afghanistan from becoming a failed state or a safe haven for terrorists, rather than a Western-style democracy, diplomats said. dpa