New Delhi, Aug 26 - Describing him as 'an American hero and a friend of India', US Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer Wednesday paid glowing tributes to Edward Kennedy, saying he championed the cause of the poor and the homeless 'with a lion's courage and tenacity'.

'Roemer remembered Senator Edward Kennedy as a true American hero, a friend of India, and a strong voice for the poor,' the US embassy said in a statement here.

Roemer recalled his work with Kennedy on issues such as healthcare, youth service programmes and education.

Alluding to Kennedy's tireless work on behalf of the poor, the homeless and the voiceless, Roemer said: 'He championed their cause with a lion's courage and tenacity.'

'The poor have lost a champion for their cause. The United States has lost one of its truly great public servants. The world will miss his humour, hope, and humility,' he said.

Kennedy, the US' third longest-serving senator, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a protracted battle with brain cancer at the age of 77.