In Lithuania, the Seimas has decided to denounce the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Anti-Personnel Mines. The decision was supported by 107 deputies, with three abstaining. Ukrinform reports this with reference to LRT.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced its decision to denounce the Anti-Personnel Mine Convention at the regional level back in March. In April, the move was supported by the Lithuanian Parliament's National Security and Defense Committee.
The denunciation of the convention will take effect six months after the adoption of the relevant decision.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense previously stated that since joining the convention, the security situation in the region has become significantly more complicated, and the military threat to Russia's neighboring countries has increased.
Recall that Lithuania ratified the convention on the total elimination of anti-personnel mines in 2003. The international agreement, in particular, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines.
The Convention entered into force in March 1999. Ukraine signed it in December 1999, and the document was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada in 2005. Meanwhile, 32 countries around the world are not parties to the agreement, including the USA, China, and Russia.