During a speech broadcast nationally, the president said that Tajikistan advocates ‘for peace and stabilization in neighboring nations, for living in a calm, stability, friendship and cooperation atmosphere with our neighbors.’

Rahmon warned, however, that Dushanbe cannot be indifferent facing the escalation of internal conflicts in Afghanistan, its closest neighbor, with whom the Tajik people share a language, religion and culture, he said, according to Sputnik news agency.

During the last weeks, Tajik authorities warned about the increase in tensions in the border area between the two countries and the strengthening of control of those territories, from the Afghan side, by the Taliban movement.

About this issue, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned in recent days that her country will take measures, if necessary, to avoid attacks or provocations on the Tajik-Afghan border.

Earlier this month, the Taliban offensive in the northeastern region of the Central Asian nation caused that at least 1,500 Afghan soldiers fled to Tajikistan.

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