Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Saturday expressed concern over border clashes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, calling for an enduring ceasefire.

Kanaani called on both sides of the conflict to resolve their dispute peacefully and through dialogue.

He referred to Iran's friendly ties with both Central Asian countries, announcing the readiness of the Islamic Republic to help its neighbors resolve their dispute.    

The border clashes intensified between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday despite a ceasefire announced a day earlier.

Both sides traded blame for the fighting that Kyrgyzstan said left at least two dozen people dead in its Batken region.

Russia on Friday also called on both former Soviet states to end hostilities, which have in the past been involved in clashes over their poorly demarcated border as well. 

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