Three Baltic states withdraw from Mine Ban Treaty
(VOVWORLD) -The three Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania on Saturday officially withdrew from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), also known as the Ottawa Treaty.
A statement from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the country had submitted its withdrawal documents from the mine ban treaty to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in June 2025.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said, "The decision to leave the Ottawa Convention was driven by the need to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities."
Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia joined the Convention in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. The three countries officially notified the UN on June 27th of their withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty, citing changing national security requirements.
According to the regulations, withdrawal takes effect six months after the UN Secretary-General receives formal notification from each country.