During the phone talk with President Barham Salih late on Sunday, President Rouhani said tolerating martyrdom of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes as well as their companions is very hard for both great nations of Iran and Iraq.
Clear stances of the Iraqi government and turnout of its people in funeral of the martyrs in Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf assuaged the suffering of the Iranian nation, he said, hoping that the two governments and nations to compensate for the big loss and further improve friendly and brotherly relations.
Describing Iraqi parliament's move to approve the exit of the US forces from Iraq as significant and beginning for promoting stability and security in the region, President Rouhani said that no doubt the great commanders' bloods will bring about new changes in the region and help reinforce bilateral relations.
The Iraqi people and government have experienced hard days, he said, hoping that security, stability and national unity will improve in the country.
Noting that the Iraqi and Iranian peoples will stand alongside each other as before, the Iranian president said that Lieutenant General Soleimani made many efforts for the region, Iraq and Iran's security.
If it were not for his efforts ad sacrifices when Daesh attacked Erbil, it would have surely collapsed, he said.
Barham Salih, for his part, said that martyrdom of General Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes and their companions is a great sorrow for the two nations.
Highlighting deep and historic bonds between the two nations, he said that no doubt unity and friendship of the two nations will play a crucial role in establishing security in the region.
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