BEIJING -- Pakistan and the United States have reached a deal to re-open land routes used by NATO to supply troops in Afghanistan. It ends a seven-month closure, imposed after 24 Pakistani soldiers were accidentally killed in a NATO airstrike last November.
The move follows a telephone conversation between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Clinton, in the phone call, apologized for the November NATO air strike that prompted Islamabad to slam the supply routes closed. Khar, in turn, informed Clinton that Pakistan would reopen the supply routes, and would not follow through on threats to dramatically hike the transit fees. The news was released by the State Department.
Victoria Nuland, spokesperson, US State Department, said, "As the statement makes clear, there were mistakes made on both sides that led to the tragic loss of life and we are both sorry for those."
Following the conversation, Clinton said in a statement that the deal also would allow the US and its NATO partners to conduct their planned military drawdown from Afghanistan at a much lower cost. After a meeting of key Pakistani civilian and military leaders on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Ashraf said reopening the supply routes was in the country’s and region’s interests.
Raja Pervez Ashraf, Pakistani Prime Minister, said, "The continued closure of supply lines not only impinges on our relationship with the US, but also on our relations with the 49 other member states of NATO/ISAF. Eventual exit, exit of international forces from Afghanistan is in the interest of longer term peace and stability in the region, and Pakistan should be seen as a responsible and cooperative member of the international community."
The first trucks carrying NATO goods were expected to move across the border soon, US officials said, but it could take days to ramp up supplies to pre-attack levels. |