US hopeful Pakistan will reopen NATO supply routes

The United States continues military dialogue with Pakistan despite recent serious setbacks, because the US-Pakistani relationship is very important, Pentagon spokesperson George Little has said.

The US has conducted "a thorough investigation" into the border incident in late November, in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a NATO air strike near the Afghanistan border, and "expressed our deepest regret to the Pakistani people," the spokesperson told reporters.

"We have acknowledged and take responsibility for the mistakes we made on November 25-26, " he said, adding that the US has also offered to compensate the families of those killed and wounded in the incident.

Despite the US moves to remedy the relations damaged by the attack, ground supply routes through Pakistan remained closed to coalition forces in Afghanistan.

"We are hopeful that our Pakistani partners will reopen the ground supply routes," The News quoted Little, as saying.

"The relationship with Pakistan is important on many levels. They're an important partner, and we cooperate with them on counterterrorism and other efforts," Little said.