British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw said today he would visit Iran and Pakistan this week as part of negotiations over the future of Afghanistan.
He told a news conference he will hold talks in Tehran on tomorrow and Islamabad the following day.
"Iran has close connections with non-Taliban, non-Pashtun groups in Afghanistan, and Pakistan has similar ties with Pashtun-speakers. Both had a key role to play", Mr Straw said.
The US and Britain want to help a new, multi-ethnic government to replace the Taliban movement.
Islamabad wants Pashtuns, who form Afghanistan's largest ethnic grouping and who dominate much of Pakistan's border regions, to take a leading role in a future government.
Tehran seeks to ensure an equitable role for the minority Shi'ite Muslims, whose Islamic doctrine is shared by the majority of the Iranian population.
Mr Straw said he wanted to hear both governments' perceptions of the situation in Afghanistan and the problems of refugees on their borders.
He said he would not flinch from raising the issue of terrorist groups with Iran.
Iran stands accused by the US of sponsoring terrorism by backing Lebanon's Hizbollah and the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad. These organisations consider their guerrilla attacks justified by Israel's continued military occupation of Arab land.
It will be Mr Straw's second visit to the region since the September 11th attacks on the US.