Latvian parliament approves exit from Ottawa convention on personnel landmines

Latvia has become the first of the Baltic countries to officially initiate the withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel landmines.

This decision was approved by the Saeima (Latvia’s parliament) on April 16, Caliber.Az reports citing Lithuanian media outlets, which will take effect six months after the United Nations receives Latvia's formal notification.

The draft legislation was treated as an urgent matter in the Saeima, with 66 members of parliament voting in favour of withdrawal, while 14 opposed it, and two abstained. Unlike the initial reading, there was no debate during the final plenary session.

Latvia’s move stems from a shift in the regional security environment since its accession to the Convention two decades ago. According to the Saeima's draft legislation, “Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has clearly shown that the aggressor disregards sovereign borders and international law, including core UN principles. Given the current security developments, Latvia must preserve operational flexibility and retain the option to use various defence systems and tools to bolster national security and deterrence.”

Latvia's withdrawal from the Convention was prompted by a regional agreement that was entered into between the Baltic States and Poland to strengthen their borders with Russia by withdrawing from the Convention.

The Latvian Foreign Ministry is now responsible for formally notifying the UN Secretary-General and all States Parties. Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland have also expressed intentions to exit the Convention, citing comparable security concerns, but have yet to officially initiate the process.

The Ottawa treaty, formally known as "The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction" was agreed in 1997 and has since been signed by 164 states, including all EU member states as well as most African, Asian, and American countries. Some of the 33 states that have not signed the treaty include China, India, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US, along with several Arab countries.

By Nazrin Sadigova