US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has proposed a high-level international conference to map out a new strategy for Afghanistan.
She said that neighbouring Pakistan would be invited to attend.
‘We hope that this meeting could provide an opportunity to reach a common set of principles, perhaps embodied in a chairman's statement on a common way forward,’ Mrs Clinton told NATO foreign ministers, without saying where the meeting would take place.
Aside from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mrs Clinton also proposed inviting NATO allies and other nations contributing forces to the operation in Afghanistan as well as major donors and international organisations.
Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers met in Washington last week when the conference idea was discussed.
Mrs Clinton repeated at the NATO meeting in Brussels a US appeal for NATO members to provide more troops to fight al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan, adding to the additional 17,000 US forces that Washington offered last month.
In addition, there needed to be an increase in development aid and more help to train and build the Afghan army and police, she said.
The administration of US President Barack Obama is doing a full review of its policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan and has appointed a special representative, Richard Holbrooke, to oversee its new strategy.
US officials say the review is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, in time for the conference.
Indicating the new US approach, Mrs Clinton said Afghanistan and Pakistan must be seen as a single strategic concern.
