Paris  - Participants at an international conference on peace and security in Afghanistan, which ended Sunday evening in Paris, described the outcome as positive.

While no resolutions were expected, Afghanistan and its neighbours pledged to work closely on security issues, increase border security and combat drug smuggling, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.

According to German diplomats, the goal of the conference was to strengthen regional ties, which are necessary to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Paris, Dec. 14 : Envoys from Afghanistan, its neighbours and the world''s great powers are meeting here today to discuss ways to ease Afghanistan's socio-economic crisis.

States around Afghanistan, especially Pakistan and Iran, are likely to be told to help in Kabul''s attempt to regain control of the war ravaged and economically deprived land.

India's Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher and Iran''s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will be some of the participants at the meeting.

Paris  - An international conference on Afghanistan began near Paris Sunday without representation from Iran.

According to French media reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki decided shortly before the conference's start not to attend. French sources further noted that no representative of Mottaki had shown.

Tensions between Iran and France, which is hosting the conference, have been building in recent weeks after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would neither offer his hand to or share a table with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad owing to Ahmadinejad's antipathy toward Israel.

Iran responded to those comments with warnings of "serious consequences for bilateral relations."

Kabul  - Three Canadian soldiers were killed in a roadside blast in southern province of Kandahar, while another bombing in the same province killed three Afghan policemen and wounded 12 people, officials said Sunday.

The soldiers of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force were patrolling Saturday morning when the blast occurred, the Canadian defence ministry said in statement posted at its website.

Another Canadian soldier was wounded in the attack in Arghandab district, 14 kilometres west of Kandahar city in Kandahar province, it said.

Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi, speaking from an undisclosed location, took responsibility for the attack and claimed seven Canadian soldiers and four Afghan forces were killed.

Kabul  - Nine Taliban militants, three civilians and two Afghan policemen were killed in the latest clashes and attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

US-led troops killed five militants and destroyed six roadside explosive devices in separate operations in southern Helmand province on Thursday and Friday, the military said in a statement.

One Afghan policeman was killed and another was wounded during the operations, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the combined forces killed one insurgent and detained 16 in Kabul and southern Zabul provinces on Friday, the US military said.

Kabul - Nine Taliban militants, three civilians and two Afghan policemen were killed in the latest clashes and attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

US-led troops killed five militants and destroyed six roadside explosive devices in separate operations in southern Helmand province on Thursday and Friday, the military said in a statement.

One Afghan policeman was killed and another was wounded during the operations, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the combined forces killed one insurgent and detained 16 in Kabul and southern Zabul provinces on Friday, the US military said.