Reflecting their growing bilateral relations, India named a road in New Delhi af

ter the slain Afghan war hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud on Thursday.
The renaming of the road, near the Afghanistan embassy in the diplomatic enclave
of Chanakyapuri, is the first such honour extended to a leader from that countr
y.
The road was a "symbol of ties" that bind the two nations that have always "enjo
yed excellent relations", External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said unveil
ing the plaque with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
Describing him as a visionary and a friend of India, Mukherjee said Massoud unde
rstood the threat of globalisation of terror and fought, dreamt and prayed all h
is life for a free Afghanistan, which is a reality today.

"This road is a symbol of ties that bind India and Afghanistan and I am confiden
t that it will pave the way for even stronger ties between our two countries and
in our region," the minister added.

Expressing his gratitude, Karzai remembered Massoud as a friend who waged a stru
ggle against "Al-Qaida, interference from neighbours and the rule of terror in A
fghanistan."

"He was so important in the war against terror and for the freedom of Afghanista
n that terrorism found every possible way to get him out of their way and that w
as to assassinate him.... Afghanistan is honoured to have him as our hero," he s
aid.

Massoud joins personalities like Uruguay's national hero Jose Artigas, Kazakh po
et Abai Kunanbaiuly, Irish leader Eamon De Valera, novelist Andre Malraux and Ar
gentinian icon Jose De San Martin who have roads named after them in Lutyen's De
lhi.