US Commander in Afghanistan Visiting Pakistan

Posted August 2nd, 2012 at 4:00 am (UTC-5)
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The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is holding talks in Islamabad Thursday for the first time since Pakistan ended its seven-month blockade of NATO supplies.

Pakistan's military says General John Allen will meet with Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The military says the discussions will include ways to improve coordination along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan closed its supply lines to Afghanistan in November after U.S. airstrikes mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The country agreed to reopen the routes early last month after the U.S. said it was “sorry” about the deaths.

General Allen's visit comes after the U.S. and Pakistan signed a deal Tuesday outlining the movement of NATO supply convoys into Afghanistan through the end of 2015. The agreement formalizes an arrangement that has allowed the U.S. to supply its troops during more than a decade of war.