WASHINGTON: The US State Department said Monday that the United States and Pakistan have made "considerable progress" in talks aimed at reopening NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.
"Our team is still in Islamabad working on the land route issue. My understanding this morning is that they have made considerable progress but they are still working," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
"They are not yet finished with the Pakistanis," she told reporters, declining to give details on the substance of the talks between the two sides.
"But we're having a full review with the government of Pakistan on how this transit system works and all of the issues are on the table in that context," Nuland added.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Monday it was time to "move on" and repair ties with the US and NATO, the strongest sign yet that it is ready to reopen supply routes into Afghanistan closed for nearly six months.
Khar made the remarks one day before Pakistani leaders are to discuss ending the blockade, and accept a key demand from the West in time to attend a NATO summit in Chicago on May 20-21.
Islamabad shut its Afghan border to NATO supplies after US air strikes killed 24 soldiers on November 26, provoking a major crisis in bilateral ties on top of the outcry from the raid that killed Osama bin Laden last May.
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@Organ of Big Profit: If only mate, If only...
You know which side your bread is buttered. Well, you know where youe next piece of bread will come from.
@Organ of Big Profit: pakstan will open up all routes for same old price and may even have to apologise to US now...their blackmailing aint working..hahahahaha
@gp65: I think that there should be some compensation for assisting the West in helping defeat the Soviets, bringing about the collapse of communism there and ending the Cold War. Think about the trillions that Pakistan saved the West and how they were abandoned by the West with all the fighters that were brought in to fight the Soviets. Not only should Pakistan's debt be written off (it's much less than the Greeks!) but the rail routes, roads and ports should be upgraded by the Western forces who are using the Pakistan land route. Pakistan should co operate with the Western forces but also work to build its own nation in the process.
Shame on Pakistan it has really lost its sovereignity.
Where is jamaat ud dawa now? looks like they are scared to even hive out a statement.
Ghairat is for sale, at no cost! USA made us eat crow (thook chatna) and we are spinning it as a feel good story! @Organ of Big Profit, you nick should be "honor for Big Profit". BTW hundreds of thousands pakistanis (many khaki officers are involved and making tons of $$$ in this NATO transportation racket) involved in transportation of NATO supply had lost their lively hood due to closure of NATO supply route.
@Organ of Big Profit: NATO spends $38 million on NDN per month or about 450 million a year. US coaliation support funds of around a billion dollars are stuck which is equal to 2 years cost of NATO supply through NDN. Since Pakistan has chosen not to confront Haqqanis and Afghan Taliban, coaliation support from Pakistan is really limited to the supply route. In addition to coaliation support funds, US was also providing you free arms and also weapons training ehich you can use anti-India. Plus supporting an IMF program approval. So the things that were on offer were already higher than X due to lng term relationship with Pakistan. You are unlikely to get much more.
The price of our pound of flesh???
Please open the route so that the trucks can pass safely.
Yes, I have heard that it is going to be opened in a week's time or so.
Further more,
Pakistan can exhibit monopolistic behavior in setting the price for Pakistani GLOCK, since there is no friggin competition til $(X-1).
This means, Pakistan may get its debt waived off iff Debt Amount < $X, or at least equal to $ (X-1)
Charge them at least $3000 per truck, they can afford it. The economics is simple:
Assume the NDN, Central Asian Route Costs $X/ Month. Pakistan GLOC, should cost them $(X - 1) /Month and it'll still be viable.