KABUL, Afghanistan - The Afghan and Pakistani armies agreed Wednesday to conduct coordinated and simultaneous patrols with the United States alongside their volatile border, a statement from the American-led coalition said.

NATO troops in charge of security in southern Afghanistan will also participate in patrols aimed at improving security operations alongside the porous 1,470-mile frontier, through which militants funnel money and equipment to help the Taliban-led insurgency.

"In order to coordinate the movements along the border areas, the participants discussed and agreed to a proposal to conduct coordinated patrols ... on their respective sides of the border, simultaneously," the statement said.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have been at loggerheads over border security, accusing each other of not doing enough to prevent militants from operating within the frontier. The patrol deal could signal an improvement in relations between the neighbors, who have both felt the brunt of Islamic militancy.

Wednesday's accord was reached during the 17th meeting of Tripartite Commission, which includes the U.S.-led coalition and aims to improve coordination and resolve disputes related to combating terrorism.

The parties also discussed potential use of "secure mobile telephones for intelligence coordination" and agreed that next meeting will be in October in Afghanistan, according to the statement.

The participants at the meeting in the Afghan capital, Kabul, included Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Pakistan's army vice chief of staff; Gen. Bismullah Khan, the Afghan army's chief of staff; Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, head of the U.S.-led coalition; and NATO forces chief Lt. Gen. David Richards.

Afghanistan has repeatedly criticized Pakistan for not doing enough to prevent Taliban militants and other rebels crossing the poorly marked border.

Pakistan, a former Taliban supporter but now U.S. ally in its war on terrorism, says it does all it can to tackle insurgents and has deployed 80,000 troops along the frontier.