NATO’s agreement with the Central Asian Republics on supply routes and withdrawal of their equipment from Afghanistan does not mean that the United States has given up on its negotiations with Pakistan on reopening of the ground lines of communication, US officials said on Wednesday. “No, I would not take the pursuit of this deal and this agreement as any kind of repudiation of the importance of those gates or the larger relationship with Pakistan,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt John Kirby told reporters at a news conference.
“No, I wouldn’t take it that way at all,” Kirby said when asked if the US had given up on its talks with Pakistan now that NATO had signed agreements with Central Asian Republics in this regard. He stressed the importance of Shaman and the Torkham Gates in Afghanistan for the flow of coalition traffic. “We continue to be in discussions with our Pakistani counterparts about trying to get those gates open, and in general trying to improve the relationship with Pakistan at large,” he said.
