ROME - ITALY'S top diplomat Franco Frattini said on Monday that Iran has until the end of the day to respond to an invitation to attend a Group of Eight meeting of foreign ministers later this week.

'We will consider that the invitation has been declined if no reply is received' by the end of the day, the Italian news agency ANSA quoted Mr Frattini as saying.

The Italian government asked Iran to take part in the meeting in northeastern Trieste from Thursday to Saturday to lend its influence to efforts to stabilise Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mr Frattini said on Sunday that in view of the post-election crackdown on demonstrations in Iran, Rome would 'consider an extremely firm stance, in particular regarding the Trieste meeting.'

He called on Iran to end the violence against demonstrators protesting the result of the election that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power after at least 10 people were killed on Saturday and hundreds were arrested.

'We ask the Iranian government to urgently act to create the conditions for a peaceful resolution to the internal crisis,' Mr Frattini said. 'Priority must be given to the protection of human life above all else,' he added.

Mr Frattini noted that Rome 'respects Iran, its sovereignty and recognises its important role in the region.'

Teheran can play a particular role in the 'stabilisation of Afghanistan, where Iran can make a particularly useful contribution,' he said. -- AFP