The Lithuanian Seimas on 8 May decided to denounce the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, reports Delfi.
107 MPs voted in favour of withdrawal from the Convention, three abstained, and no one spoke against it. For Lithuania’s withdrawal from the Convention required the approval of at least 85 deputies.
Withdrawal from the Convention will come into force six months after the decision.
The 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Treaty, was signed by 164 countries. States parties pledged never to use, develop, produce or transfer anti-personnel mines, and to destroy all stockpiles in their possession. Russia, the United States, China, India and Pakistan have not joined the treaty.
In March, the defence ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland recommended that the authorities of their countries withdraw from the Convention. They emphasised that the security situation in the region had “significantly deteriorated” and that military threats to NATO countries bordering Russia and Belarus had “significantly increased”. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia speculated as early as early 2024 that they might withdraw from the treaty in order to strengthen their defences against potential Russian aggression. As a result, the countries decided to increase their stockpiles of anti-personnel mines, as well as other less-threatening means for civilians.
In mid-April, the Latvian Seimas voted in favour of the decision to withdraw from the Convention.