Zarif in Sulaymaniyah to attend Talabani's funeral procession

Iran's Ambassador in Baghdad Iraj Masjedi is also in the Iraqi Kurdistan city to attend the ceremony.

Upon arrival of the airplane carrying Talabani's body, funeral procession of the Iraqi Kurd historic figure officially started with foreign officials and Iraqi statesmen, including President Fouad Masoum and Chairman of Iraqi National Alliance Ammar al-Hakim in attendance.

Former Iraqi president and secretary general of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party died in Berlin after a long period of illness following a brain stroke in 2012.

He was the first non-Arab president of Iraq, elected in 2005, two years after the US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

8072**

Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish