NATO to Move War Supplies Through Central Asia

On Monday the NATO Secretary-General reported that Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have signed agreements to allow NATO war supplies through their countries.

"These agreements will give us a range of new options and the robust and flexible transport network we need," Rasmussen said Monday at a news conference. "I thank all three partner countries for their support. And NATO will continue to actively engage with Afghanistan's neighbors to build wider support for the country's stability."

In November of last year, transit routes through Pakistan were stopped after US forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in a cross border raid.

Before the November attack, one-third of American war supplies moved through Pakistan, costing about $17 million a month. Since then, coalition forces have relied on the Northern Distribution Network, a system of supply lines in countries such as Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, inflating supply costs by $87 million more per month, according to the Associated Press.

Additional Resources:

Talks Resume on Transit of War Supplies through Pakistan

Pakistan and the War