But "there are a number of technical issues that we are still working through," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, as talks continued on reopening Nato supply lines that have been closed for six months.
Pakistan had shut its Afghan border crossings to Nato supplies on November 26, after US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
"We have had some progress (in the talks). We've also had some very helpful and positive political statements out of Pakistan, some political moves," Nuland told reporters at the daily briefing .
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Monday it was time to "move on" and repair relations with the United States and Nato.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Wednesday "there is no deadline" for the talks, but said "all departments have been asked to conclude their negotiations in the quickest possible time."
"While the Pakistani political leadership hasn't yet authorised the reopening of the ground transportation routes, we understand that they did endorse the conclusion of the negotiations," Nuland said.
She added the Pakistanis "are sending a political signal to their own negotiating team that they would like to see this wrapped up. That doesn't change the fact that we still haven't closed all the issues."
Nuland did not elaborate on where, if any, stumbling blocks remained.
"So they see some urgency, we see some urgency, but the negotiators have to finish it."
When asked if the urgency was to conclude a deal before the Nato summit begins at the weekend in Chicago, she replied: "The urgency is to be able to support Afghanistan from Pakistan."
Although Islamabad has stopped short of announcing when the transit lines will reopen, it has signaled President Asif Ali Zardari will attend talks on Afghanistan in Chicago on May 20-21, after a last-minute invitation from Nato.
The cabinet on Wednesday welcomed Nato's invitation to Zardari, and it is thought unlikely he would be willing to risk the wrath of Western leaders if the supply lines have not been restored by the time of the summit.
By going to Chicago, Pakistan hopes to ease its international isolation and boost its leverage over the future of Afghanistan, as Western countries pull out their combat forces by 2014.
But Islamabad has essentially been forced to climb down on demands for an American apology for the air strikes and an end to drone strikes which are supposed to target Taliban and al Qaeda on its soil.
COMMENTS (7)
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President has accepted the invitation,will participate the conference, meeting of high profile ended with positive results, foreign minister pointing to the direction leading to opening the ground lines communications/
Well informed,independent reliable sources openly saying the issue has come to the verge of resolve. Game is going to come to an end within very short span of time. Drones would remained in operation which can ignite a internal unrest, United States refused to say sorry,it mean no apology. What gained and lost,wasted time. In fact, they were waiting proper time to open ways of ration supply,who would face a supper power,no one,but national unity.
More than 10 years on,Nato and The United States has failed to overcome Taliban and the insurgency erupted thereafter. It is a result of friction and mistakes made by the allies concerned, for example,incidents like salala out post,drone attacks on civilians,and violations of international law by some particular quarters.
Osama Bin Laden was provided shelter in Pakistan ,it was also a mistake based on negligence. The member states has still be failed to resolving the counter productive ,
In case they want a victory,will have to assembled on one point agenda otherwise one day extremists would have approached the nuclear assets and unleashed them without an delay.
NATO is consisting on many countries stationed in Afghanistan, continuously closing the border mean inviting strained relation with all those member of Nato.
Pakistan is not in a position to face the circumstances expected in the near future. On the other hand, single super power repeatedly insisting on the opening, economic assistance has already been withheld and attributed to the issue, what should do Pakistan in such condition. Further more isolation is not favorable for Pakistan,so compelled to inclined.
Pakistani leadership has failed teaching American a lesson, there is no guarantee of repeating such heinous act on behalf of single super power against the country's sovereignty, that is question mark before us.
No apology,drone attacks will remained stand, ground routs communication is going to open, American won the game on the table.
At this stage, United Nation,under the international law is duty bound to interfere in the settling the issue, which has taken hundred and hundred of thousand human live within a decade.
Stop, it must be stop,carnage ,if continued a big bang may come with bringing more destruction.
Don't know when US leaves us and when we leave US.