Latvia is the first of the Baltic States to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines. This is the result of a decision by the Saeima on Thursday, 16 April.
The decision will become official six months after the United Nations (UN) has received the withdrawal document.
The Saeima examined the draft law as a matter of urgency. In the end, 66 MPs supported the decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, while 14 were against and two abstained. The debate in the plenary session of the Saeima, compared to the first reading of the draft law, was not held this time.
The main reason why Latvia decided to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention is the security situation in the Baltic region, which has changed significantly compared to 20 years ago, when Latvia joined the Convention.
“Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has blatantly demonstrated that the aggressor does not respect the territorial borders of sovereign states and international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Given the dynamics of the evolving security situation, it is essential for Latvia not to limit the flexibility of action and to use different weapons systems and solutions to strengthen deterrence and ensure the protection of the country and its people,” the draft law states.
Latvia’s withdrawal from the Convention was prompted by a regional agreement between the Baltic States and Poland to strengthen their borders by withdrawing from the Convention. Finland has also announced similar plans.
The withdrawal process in the Baltic States and Poland has started in synchrony, but Latvia is the first whose parliament has already taken the final decision.
Officials have confirmed in the past that the Parliament’s final decision does not mean that landmines will soon be deployed on Latvia’s eastern border.
Firstly, after the final decision of the Saeima, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs now has to notify the UN Secretary-General and all States Parties, and only after 6 months, Latvia will have officially withdrawn from the Convention. Secondly, anti-personnel mines could only be deployed in the event of a national threat, in accordance with specific national defence and National Armed Forces (NBS) plans.
The draft law approved by the Saeima also stipulates that the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates with the Estonian and Lithuanian Ministries of Foreign Affairs the submission of withdrawal documents to the States Parties and the UN Depositary.
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