Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon agreed to cooperate on migration and anti-terrorism, after days of tension over new Russian checks on Tajik citizens.
Russia introduced increased checks following the March 22 attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, a measure that Tajikistan has said has targetted its citizens.
After the new security measures left hundreds of Tajiks stuck at airports in Russia, Tajikistan recommended its citizens against travelling there.
"Hope was expressed that recent intensified attempts by certain forces to artificially escalate the situation around work migrants coming to Russia -- including Tajikistan -- be jointly suppressed," said a Kremlin statement.
Recent events "will not be able to damage the time-tested brotherly relations between the peoples of the two countries", the statement added.
Rahmon's office said the two leaders had "agreed to instruct the relevant departments of both sides to activate work in this direction".
They had also agreed to "tightly cooperate" on fighting terrorism and extremism, the statement added.
Russia arrested four gunmen -- all Tajik citizens -- after the devastating attack on the Crocus City Hall, for which the so-called Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility.
Tajikistan protested after some of the suspects showed signs of having been tortured when they made their first court appearances.
Hundreds of thousands of Tajiks live in Russia, many working in low-skilled jobs and sending their salaries back home.
Putin's call with Rahmon came three days after the two countries' foreign ministers issued statements revealing the gulf between the two sides on migration issues.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin that "more thorough checks" were necessary after the Moscow attack.
The measures were "temporary" and were "not directed against a specific nation or religion", he added. Muhriddin said that this did not "correspond to the real situation". He said that "negative actions are being taken exclusively against citizens of Tajikistan".
Accusing Russia of "violating the rights and freedoms" of Tajik citizens, he called on Moscow to respect "basic bilateral" agreements between the two countries.
© Agence France-Presse
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