The United States is planning to connect Afghanistan with Central Asian countries, Pakistan and India by extending the newly built Kabul-Kandahar highway. 

Washington says the extension will put the 'Silk Road' back into operation.

"President Bush's commitment to de-mine and repave the entire stretch of the Kabul-Kandahar highway was fulfilled. The road had not been functional for over 20 years. What was once a 30-hour journey can be accomplished in just 5 or 6 hours," Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Operations on Thursday.

"This fundamentally changes all kinds of dynamics within Afghanistan. People can move around. The country can be brought back together with the simple act of completing this road," he said.

Elaborating Washington's plans to extend the road to the west as well as the north, he said, "We will try to create a ring road in this Central Asian nation that then can connect to the other Central Asian nations, to Pakistan, and through Pakistan, ultimately to India, which will put the Silk Road back into operation after so many years of misuse and no use."