TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president and foreign minister have praised the acclaimed director Abbas Kiarostami, who died Monday at the age of 76.

President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday on Twitter that the director's "different and deep attitude toward life and invitation to peace and friendship" would be a "lasting achievement."

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Kiarostami's death was a loss for international cinema, and referred to him as "Ostad," a term of respect rarely used by political leaders when referring to artists.

Kiarostami wrote and directed dozens of films over a career spanning more than four decades. His 1997 film "Taste of Cherry" won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He died in Paris, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer.