107 voted to withdraw from the convention, three abstained, and there were no objections.
Valius Ąžuolas of the Peasant Party, Petras Dargis, and Vytautas Jucius of the Nemuno Aušra party abstained from voting. At least 85 members of parliament had to vote in favour of Lithuania withdrawing from the convention.
„The geopolitical situation is clear to everyone. (...) I don't think we need to convince anyone. I suggest that we support and adopt the resolution on denunciation as soon as possible so that we can order anti-personnel mines, which are necessary for the security of our country,“ said Conservative Arvydas Pocius in the plenary session hall.
Social Democrat Ruslanas Baranovas also called for support for the convention.
„We are doing this so that, knowing that we have such capabilities, our opponents will think twice before taking any action against us,“ he said.
The Ministry of National Defence (KAM) announced the regional decision to denounce the Anti-Personnel Mine Convention in early March. The Baltic states and Poland were the first to announce this step, followed shortly by Finland. At the end of April, the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee (KAM) also approved this decision.
The Mod has previously noted that since Lithuania joined the Ottawa Convention, the security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly, and the military threat to countries bordering Russia has increased. Therefore, in the Ministry of National Defence's assessment, withdrawal from the convention would strengthen Russia's deterrence and allow the military to increase its counter-mobility effect on the battlefield.
The withdrawal from the convention will take effect six months after the adoption of this decision.
According to the Ministry of National Defence, 32 countries, including Russia, the United States (US), and China, are not members of the Ottawa Convention.
Lithuania ratified the convention, which aims to eliminate anti-personnel mines, in 2003. The agreement commits signatories not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer anti-personnel mines.
At the end of April, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs signed a law renouncing the country's membership in the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.