AUSTRALIA has been excluded from a NATO leaders' summit this weekend despite repeatedly pressing for closer engagement on the war in Afghanistan.

Australia has almost 1100 troops in the country, the largest of the non-NATO allies.

The Government has repeatedly criticised the Howard government for failing to engage with NATO on the strategy for the war. Last year's summit in Bucharest, Romania, was attended by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd; the Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon; and the Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston.

A NATO spokesman and a spokeswoman for Mr Rudd each said non-NATO members were not invited to the summit because it would celebrate NATO's 60th anniversary.

However, the main item will be Afghanistan and the impact of a US strategy review. The summit is expected to lead to greater European troop commitments, which would create pressure for Australia to bolster its contribution.

Jonathan Pearlman