Lithuania formally withdraws from Ottawa Convention

VILNIUS - Lithuania on Saturday formally withdrew from the Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines.

December 27 marked exactly six months since Lithuania officially informed the United Nations Secretary-General of its withdrawal from the Mine Ban Treaty.

The Defense Ministry earlier told BNS that Lithuania will begin official talks on the acquisition or production of anti-personnel mines once its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention takes effect.

Reuters reported in early July that Lithuania and Finland look set to start domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year to supply themselves and Ukraine.

"We are going to spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank mines, but also on anti-personnel mines. It will be a significant amount," Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa told Reuters at the time.

Tens of thousands of anti-personnel landmines, or more, will be ordered, he said.

The majority of European Union member states are currently parties to the Ottawa Convention, while China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan are not.

In March, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland issued a joint statement calling on their countries to exit the Ottawa Convention. They were later joined by Finland.

In early May, the Lithuanian parliament voted to exit the Ottawa Convention.