Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have agreed to work together more closely to strengthen security in the region and combat terrorism.

The foreign ministers of the three nations met on Saturday in Islamabad and signed a joint declaration on tackling the region's security situation as well as terrorism and the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

"The foreign ministers, as we have agreed today, will look at how to promote the regional approach to sum up the challenges that we are facing," Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Pakistani foreign minister, said after the meeting.

"We feel that a regional, collective, comprehensive approach is required to deal with these challenges," Qureshi said.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the summit had aimed to bring positive change to the region.

"We are optimistic, not very far in the future, we will bring some constructive and positive change to the situation," Mottaki told reporters.

"Extremism, terrorism and instability have no geographical borders. That's why we should try united, every body, every body, all together," he said.

"We have to come together," Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta said, adding that Afghanistan was "determined and ready to play this role".

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