ROME - ITALY officially invited Iran on Thursday to a meeting of Group of Eight foreign ministers on the crises in Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month, ANSA news agency reported.

Italy, which is holding the G-8's rotating presidency, is hosting the meeting which will be held June 25-27 in the north-eastern city of Trieste.

'The stabilisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan, a priority of the international community, requires Iran's involvement,' Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was quoted as saying.

Mr Frattini said last month that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in favour of inviting Iran to the meeting.

The Italian diplomat cancelled a trip to Iran on May 20 after the Islamic republic tested a short-range missile. But he reiterated last week that he would visit Iran after the country's June 12 presidential election.

Around 20 other countries have been invited to the -G8 meeting, including China, Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The G8 groups the world's leading industrialised nations, the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and Italy. -- AFP