The President of Latvia approved the law on the country"s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on mines

The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, has signed a historic law allowing the country to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits anti-personnel mines.

As reported by TUT.AZ, this information was published by the authoritative portal Delfi.

"Given the dynamics of the regional security situation, it is important for Latvia not to limit its flexibility of action and to have the ability to use various weapons systems and solutions to strengthen deterrence and ensure the protection of the state and its population," states the explanatory note to the document.

At the same time, the law emphasizes that Latvia maintains a firm commitment to minimizing the impact of military operations on the civilian population and will continue to strictly comply with international humanitarian law. This includes protecting civilians during armed conflicts, ensuring the safety of their lives and property, as well as active efforts to neutralize unexploded ordnance and provide assistance to victims of armed conflicts both domestically and internationally.

Recall that the Latvian Saeima passed the law on withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention in the final reading on April 16, opening a new chapter in the country's defense policy.

The Ottawa Convention, adopted in Oslo on September 18, 1997, and entered into force in 1999, united more than 160 countries worldwide. Participants in this international agreement commit to never under any circumstances use anti-personnel mines, as well as not to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer them to anyone - neither directly nor indirectly.