The United Nations and the Afghan Taleban movement have signed an agreement paving the way for the return of UN international staff to Afghanistan.They were withdrawn in August after three of the UN's staff were killed.

The agrement was signed after five days of talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, focussing on the security of UN staff.

A UN spokesman said the actual return of staff would depend on what it called satisfactory reports from the Taleban on investigations into the killings.