About ten years have passed since the start of a military operation in Afghanistan with the participation of NATO countries, but the situation there is far from stable. Despite this, the alliance outlined the withdrawal of military units from the country at the end of 2014. To implement this decision, it is necessary to carry out a number of organizational measures, including, including the removal of equipment and military cargo. The matter is complicated by the fact that the issue of the transit movement of NATO cargo through neighboring Pakistan has not yet been resolved.
In November 2011, Pakistan closed the transit of cargo of the North Atlantic Alliance through the country. The reason for this was the unsuccessful military operation of NATO, during which twenty-four Pakistani military personnel were victims of an air strike committed by mistake. The blockade by Pakistan greatly complicated the position of NATO in the region.
All attempts by the NATO leadership to resume the transit movement of their goods through Pakistan's territory run into Islamabad’s reluctance to make concessions. And although the NATO summit in Chicago announced progress in the negotiations, none of the parties are happy with their progress. The stumbling block was the amount requested by Pakistan for the transport of goods through its territory. Each transit container can cost NATO $ 5, 000, which the alliance considers an unacceptable price. As one of the conditions for lifting the blockade, the Pakistani side also puts forward a demand to make an official apology for the death of its military through the fault of the forces of the North Atlantic Alliance.
A transit through Pakistan would be more beneficial for NATO in comparison with transporting through the territories of other states adjacent to Afghanistan. The path to the port of Karachi is the shortest to the bay, which simplifies and cheapens the relocation of forces and assets. Pakistani truck and fuel truck drivers also express an interest in the transportation of army cargo, for whom a downtime turns into financial difficulties, the BBC Russian service said.
Meanwhile, NATO’s top leadership announced that they had reached an agreement in principle with a number of Central Asian countries on the export of alliance equipment through their territory. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have met the proposals of the Western military, Radio Liberty reported in early June 2012. The transfer of goods will be carried out according to a special schedule as the military operation in Afghanistan is curtailed.
