The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) has passed a law on the country's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires their destruction.
According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who submitted the bill, Estonia's withdrawal from the convention is a clear signal that Estonia is ready to use all necessary means to protect its territorial integrity and freedom, writes UNN with reference to the official website of the Riigikogu.
Details
I welcome the Riigikogu's decision to adopt the withdrawal law. Withdrawal from the Convention gives the Estonian Defence Forces greater flexibility and freedom in choosing the weapons systems and solutions needed to strengthen national defence. This significantly expands the possibilities for protecting Estonia's security. I hope that the President will soon release the law
The Ottawa Convention entered into force in 1999, and Estonia joined it in 2004. According to Margus Tsahkna, the security situation has deteriorated over the past 20 years, primarily due to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. In this regard, withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention is the right step for Estonia.
Russia poses a serious and long-term threat not only to Ukraine, but to the whole of Europe. During its aggression against Ukraine, Russia, which is not a party to the Ottawa Convention, has widely used anti-personnel mines. Taking into account the lessons of Russian aggression, it is obvious that Estonia should not unilaterally limit its weapons options, as this would put us at a disadvantage
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that Estonia remains committed to complying with the goals and norms of international humanitarian law and strives to minimize the impact of hostilities on the civilian population and protect victims of armed conflicts, including through support for humanitarian demining projects.
Who else is leaving the Ottawa Convention?
In addition to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland have also initiated the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention. The parliaments of Latvia and Lithuania have already adopted the relevant laws, and discussions are ongoing in the parliaments of Finland and Poland.
With this decision, the countries of the eastern flank of NATO are making it clear that they are ready and able to take all necessary measures against the aggressor to protect their territories and freedom. These decisions are not easy, but given the deteriorating security situation, it is necessary to consider all means to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities
Withdrawal from the Convention will take effect six months after notification, provided that the country is not involved in an armed conflict at that time.