Armenia on Wednesday said that it expects its strategic ally, Russia, to support in efforts to compel Azerbaijan to withdraw its forces from Armenia’s sovereign territories, which have been occupied since September 13 when a large-scale attack was launched on the Gegharkunik, Syunik and Vayots Dzor provinces.

During a meeting in Kazakhstan capital of Astana, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, the need for introducing international mechanisms to monitor and control the border crisis, said a statement from Armenia’s foreign ministry.

“Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that the Armenian side expects the unequivocal support of Russia, as a strategic ally, in withdrawing the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia,” the statement added.

In discussing humanitarian issues, Mirzoyan reportedly emphasized the imperative for the return of Armenian prisoners of war and other detained persons as soon as possible.

“The Armenian side emphasized the need to bring to justice those who perpetrated and organized extrajudicial killings, torture and other war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against Armenian prisoners of war,” said the statement.

“Ararat Mirzoyan and Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed the need to implement the agreements reached with the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021. In this context, the importance of the commissions on border demarcation and border security issues, as well as the work carried out in the direction of unblocking economic communications and transport infrastructures in the region were emphasized,” said the statement.

The two also reportedly discussed the so-called “peace treaty” between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Earlier it was reported that Lavrov told Mirzoyan that the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization was ready to send its own monitoring mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The Russian diplomat, however, said that it would be up to Armenia to convene a security council session of the body since it will be holding the presidency of the CSTO.

The Astana meeting comes less than a week after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan he a meeting in Prague initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

There the four leaders issued a statement in which it was announced that the European Union would send a civilian monitoring mission to Armenia’s border. The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders also said that their countries would respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.