MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on the phone with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbayev and his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on Saturday and discussed with each of them the current situation following armed clashes on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.
"It was emphasized that Russia welcomes the agreements reached by the parties in accordance with the instructions of the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on resolving the conflict exclusively by political and diplomatic means. The hope was expressed that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will unwaveringly comply with their commitments in the interests of fully settling the situation and restoring an atmosphere of trust and good-neighborliness between the two fraternal peoples," a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry website said.
"Russia stands ready to continue to provide all necessary assistance to this process in accordance with the principles of strategic partnership and alliance with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.