U.S. does not expect resolution of NATO supply route during Chicago Summit

Chicago - White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes has said the U.S. does not expect an agreement to be reached on the reopening of NATO supply routes through Pakistan during the NATO Summit here.

"We believe this is going to be resolved. We expect that to take some time. Based on the statements they've made, the negotiations going on, we believe it's going to be accomplished. We're not anticipating necessarily closing out those negotiations this weekend," The Express Tribune quoted Rhodes, as saying.

With NATO extending an invitation to Pakistan to attend the meeting earlier in the week, and slew of 'politically positive' statements coming from Islamabad, it was expected that perhaps a deal would be struck before the Chicago moot got underway on Sunday.

Pakistan had recently allowed four containers carrying office supplies for the U.S. embassy in Kabul to cross over from Pakistan, onto the Afghan side of the Durand Line. This was the first consignment to make it through in six months after Pakistan had shut borders with Afghanistan after NATO air strikes targeted a check post and killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.