Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says NATO has struck deals with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan to evacuate equipment through their territories as it winds down its military operation in Afghanistan.
He told journalists in Brussels that the agreements will give the alliance "a range of new options" as NATO members prepare to pull their combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 following the decade-long war.
Rasmussen did not provide details of the agreements.
NATO already has a transit agreement with Russia.
The new deals are expected to allow the alliance to ship tens of thousands of tons of equipment back to Europe, bypassing the shorter Pakistani route.
Islamabad shut down NATO supply routes through its territory six months ago after U.S. air strikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-strikes-afghan-overland-pullout-deals/24603619.html
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