NATO supply convoys have resumed in Pakistan after the United States finally apologized for a deadly attack that occurred last year. Pakistan had barred the NATO trucks that carry supplies for the Afghan war after U.S. forces killed 24 Pakistani troops in November. On Tuesday, the Obama administration dropped its longstanding refusal to apologize, ending a more than seven-month standoff. Pakistani Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the apology had met Pakistan’s demands.

Qamar Zaman Kaira: “America has accepted Pakistan’s principled stand on an apology and has agreed to work in unison with Pakistan in the war against terrorism. They have declared that, in the future, Pakistan’s sovereignty will not be compromised. They have also reaffirmed that they respect Pakistan’s sovereignty. These were Pakistan’s demands which have been accepted.”

The first NATO trucks entered Afghanistan from Pakistan earlier today. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland appeared to downplay the apology, saying both sides had expressed regret for the November incident and that the United States would be saving money with the supply lines reopened.

Victoria Nuland: “The secretary of defense has spoken to the fact that it was expensive for us during the period when the GLOCs were closed. One of the things that has resulted from this is that we have restored the GLOCs, and we are going to be paying the exact same amount as we were paying before, so we are back to significant savings here. You know, as the statement makes clear, there were mistakes made on both sides that led to the tragic loss of life, and we are both sorry for those.”