Pakistan has agreed to reopen NATO ground supply routes into Afghanistan, after closing them in protest at 24 Pakistani soldiers killed in an airstrike last year, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday, dpa reported.
Clinton apologized to Pakistan for the deadly airstrike along the border with Afghanistan, in a telephone call with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The issue of an apology had proved a major roadblock in attempts reach agreement on reopening the routes.
"I offered our sincere condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives," Clinton said in a statement.
"Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives. We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military."
They said they would work together to prevent such incidents in future, while working to combat terrorism and support Afghanistan.
"The foreign minister and I were reminded that our troops - Pakistani and American - are in a fight against a common enemy," Clinton said. "We are both sorry for losses suffered by both our countries in this fight against terrorists."
Pakistan had agreed to not charge a transit fee for the passage of supplies, while no lethal equipment would be transported on the routes except to supply Afghan forces, Clinton said.
"This is a tangible demonstration of Pakistan's support for a secure, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan and our shared objectives in the region," she said. "This will also help the United States and ISAF conduct the planned drawdown at a much lower cost."
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta also welcomed the opening, and said the US remained committed to improving its partnership with Pakistan.
Pakistan's military and civilian leaders had met earlier Tuesday in the Defence Committee of the Cabinet to discuss the possible re-opening of NATO supply routes.
The DCC is chaired by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and includes key cabinet ministers along with the chiefs of the army, navy and air force.
The meeting was called after negotiations led by Khar and Thomas Nides, deputy US secretary of state, concluded late Monday.
The US military commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, had also visited twice in the past week to meet Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. They discussed intelligence sharing, drone attacks and border controls.