NATO, Afghan and Pakistan officials to hold border talks

A view of the mountain ridges near the Pakistan border as seen from a bunker of U.S. soldiers from Task Force ''No Fear'' 3rd Platoon, 2-27 Infantry ''The Wolfhounds'' in Outpost Bari Alai in Ghaziabad district in Kunar, Afghanistan September 17, 2011.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - NATO, Afghan and Pakistani military officials will hold talks on improving border security and coordination on Wednesday, in a possible sign that tension is easing following a cross-border NATO air attack in November that infuriated Pakistan.

Pakistan's military said the director-general of military operations, Major-General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, would represent the country in the talks at a coordination centre at the border.

Pakistan closed NATO supply routes to Afghanistan after the air attack, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and plunged relations between Pakistan and the United States to their lowest point in years.

Islamabad expects to re-open the supply routes, but will impose tariffs, a senior Pakistani security official told Reuters on January 19.

The United States needs cooperation from regional power Pakistan as it tries to stabilize Afghanistan before most NATO combat troops withdraw in 2014.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)