The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines.
This was reported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who submitted the bill to parliament, withdrawing from the convention is a clear signal that Estonia is ready to use all necessary means to protect its territory and freedom.
"Russia poses a serious and long-term threat not only to Ukraine, but also to all of Europe. During its aggression against Ukraine, Russia — which is not a party to the Ottawa Convention — widely used anti-personnel mines. Given the lessons of Russian aggression, it is obvious that Estonia should not unilaterally limit its armament capabilities, as this puts us at a disadvantage," he explained.
The withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention will officially take effect in six months.
At the same time, Estonia continues to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law and supports humanitarian demining projects to help victims of armed conflicts.
In addition to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland have already initiated withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. Latvia and Lithuania have already adopted the corresponding laws.
- The Ottawa Convention was adopted on December 3, 1997, and entered into force on March 1, 1999. Ukraine ratified it on December 27, 2005, becoming a party on June 1, 2006. At the time of signing, Ukraine had the fifth largest arsenal of anti-personnel mines in the world, behind only China, Russia, the United States, and Pakistan.
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