DUBLIN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Saturday described the deceased former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Kofi Annan as "a true multilateralist".

Varadkar made the remark in a statement issued after the announcement of the death of the former UN chief at a hospital in Switzerland earlier in the day.

"I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Kofi Annan. He was a man I had the opportunity to meet earlier this year," said Varadkar in the statement.

"He was a true multilateralist, at a time when we need multilateralism, and a tireless advocate for world peace," he said.

"He remained involved in public life after his retirement and will be long remembered for his commitment to the betterment of the global community," said Varadkar.

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, also expressed his condolences on the death of Annan.

In a statement published on the website of the Irish foreign ministry, Coveney said: "Kofi Annan was an exceptional international statesman who worked tirelessly for a more peaceful and equal world, both during his long and illustrious career in the United Nations and since his retirement, championing the cause of peace and reconciliation, in particular on his own beloved continent of Africa."

"With the sad passing of Kofi Annan, the international community has lost one of its greatest champions for these causes," he said, adding that Annan "was a dear friend of Ireland".

Born in 1938 in Ghana, Annan served as the seventh UN Secretary-General from January 1997 to December 2006. He was also the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.