BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28. On June 27, Estonia
officially submitted the instruments of withdrawal from the Ottawa
Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production,
and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction to
the United Nations, Trend reports.
The withdrawal, which will take effect in six months, was made
in response to the deteriorating security environment in the
region, particularly following Russia’s continued aggression
against Ukraine.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who previously
submitted the draft law enabling Estonia’s withdrawal from the
Convention, emphasized that the move was driven by urgent national
security considerations.
“Lessons learned from Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine have shown
us that in order to protect our country more effectively, we must
not adhere to unilateral restrictions on armaments—restrictions
that our adversaries blatantly disregard. By withdrawing from the
Ottawa Convention, the Estonian Defence Forces gain greater
flexibility to choose the necessary weapons systems and tools to
strengthen our national defense, said Tsahkna.
Despite its withdrawal, Estonia reaffirmed its full commitment
to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians.
The country will continue to support humanitarian demining efforts
and victim assistance projects around the world.
Estonia acceded to the Ottawa Convention in 2004, five years
after its initial entry into force in 1999. In addition to Estonia,
several other regional countries, including Latvia, Lithuania,
Finland, and Poland, have initiated similar steps toward
withdrawing from the treaty.
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