VILNIUS, March 18. /TASS/. The defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia have recommended the government of their countries to leave the Ottawa Convention, or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.
"Since the ratification of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), the security situation in our region has fundamentally deteriorated. Military threats to NATO Member States bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased," says the joint statement quoted by the Estonian Defense Ministry.
"In light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia’s aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community, it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities. We believe that in the current security environment it is of paramount importance to provide our defense forces with flexibility and freedom of choice of potential use of new weapon systems and solutions to bolster the defense of the Alliance’s vulnerable Eastern Flank. In light of these considerations, we - the Ministers of Defense of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland - unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention," the statement reads.
It adds that despite launching the withdrawal process, the Baltics and Poland will "remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during an armed conflict."
The Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel mines, entered into force in 1999 and has been ratified by 164 states, including Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that these weapons cause numerous civilian casualties and continue to pose a danger long after hostilities have ended.