KYOTO — Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations met Thursday in Kyoto and agreed to renew their "firm and long-term commitment" to stabilizing Afghanistan, especially by giving development aid to regions on its border with Pakistan.

Since the Afghanistan-Pakistan border is considered a safe haven for terrorists, including al-Qaida, the G8 countries are promoting development assistance to bring stability to the area.

The G8 — the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, Canada and Italy — have "endorsed" more than 150 development projects worth $4 billion, including those to build social infrastructure, promote education and improve customs and border management functions, the foreign ministers said in a statement on Afghanistan issued Thursday evening.