In a messge issued on his official Instagram account, Velayati extended his condolences to the nation and government of Iraq over the death of the country’s former president Jalal Talabani.
"He has always played an irreplaceable role in the struggle against the Saddam Hussein's dictatorship regime and, afterwards, best managing of the country in creating unity and solidarity among all ethnic groups and undoubtedly in strengthening the relations between the two great countries of Iran and Iraq," he wrote.
He has always taken big strides in the international and regional arena in line with Iraqi national interests to achieve development goals after the overthrow of Saddam's regime; he opposed any divisive, separatist measure for personal interests undermining the important country in the region and consolidated Iraq's position; undoubtedly his name and effective actions will be revered in the minds of Iraq's nation as a modest, intimate and influential person, he noted.
Jalal Talabani, former president of Iraq and Kurdish politician, died in Germany aged 84. He was Iraq's president from 2005 to 2014 and a key figure in the Kurdish region of Iraq.