On 26 February 1999,
the Lithuanian Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Justys, signed the Mine Ban
Treaty in New York. Along with its signature, Lithuania made the following
formal declaration: “The Republic of Lithuania subscribes to the
principles and purposes of the [Convention] and declares that ratification of
the Convention will take place as soon as the relevant conditions relating to
implementation of [the] provisions of the Convention are fulfilled.”
Lithuania attended all the Treaty preparatory meetings of the Ottawa Process,
but did not endorse the pro-treaty Brussels Declaration in June 1997, came to
the Oslo negotiations only as an observer, and did not sign the treaty when it
opened for signature in Ottawa in December 1997. However, Lithuania did vote
for the pro-ban UN General Assembly resolutions in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In
September 1998, President Valdas Adamkus had stated, “Ratification of the
Convention on the Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines is our long-term
goal.”[1] A Foreign
Ministry official said in January 1999 that Lithuania would likely sign the
treaty, taking into account signature to and ratification of the treaty by
neighboring countries in the
region.[2]
Also in January 1999, an official at the Ministry of Defense said:
“Lithuania recognizes that APMs are a barbaric arm and shall be
eliminated from the arsenals. At the same time Lithuania is just now forming its
army, and mines obtained during the first years of independence cannot be
destroyed only for support of ideas. At this time safe storage and use is
secured by corresponding measures taken by Lithuanian armed forces. There are
technical problems to get all the documents relevant to the landmine issue,
including translation into Lithuanian. The negative attitude of neighbors
(Belarus, Russia) towards the ban is also to be taken into account. Lithuania
has neighbors who have said they will ratify only after all Security Council
members have joined the ban. Today it is hard to refuse of the tactical use of
landmines, since it forms a significant part of the Lithuanian defense potential
(which is small anyway). There is a long time period needed to replace
antipersonal mines with other weapon systems, retraining of ground force
personnel for the use of such other weapon systems, and revision of military
doctrine.”[3]
On 3 June 1998 Lithuania ratified the Convention on Conventional Weapons,
including amended Protocol II on mines. It was the twentieth state to deposit
its instrument of ratification of amended Protocol II, thereby triggering its
entry into force.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use
Lithuania has not produced antipersonnel mines.
Its existing stock of Soviet mines were obtained in the early 1990s. According
to information provided by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, Lithuania has never
exported antipersonnel mines.[4]
The legal basis for that is a Lithuanian law of 5 July 1995 on transit, import
and export of strategic goods and technologies. The list of strategic goods
includes landmines. The Ministry of Economics together with the Fund of Arms
issues licenses for strategic goods, and such licenses were never issued for
antipersonnel mines.
On 1 September 1998, Lithuania passed a two-year moratorium on the export of
APMs. The decision was passed with the aim to contribute to the global political
and practical efforts to eliminate APMs worldwide and to harmonize Lithuania's
position with that of the EU (Joint Action of the EU 97/817/CFSP and the EU code
of Conduct on Arms Exports, June 8,1998).
In the beginning of the 1990's when Lithuania regained its independence, a
special Protocol was signed between Lithuania and Russia on Russian military
transit through Lithuanian territory. The Protocol has expired, but the
Lithuanian government has extended the agreement by corresponding diplomatic
statements. Russian military transit has been regulated by defining the amount
and type of such military transits, and under the condition that arms are
transferred through Lithuanian territory separately from military personnel; any
transit is accompanied by Lithuanian military
convoy.[5] According to the
information provided by a Lithuanian Defense Ministry representative, as a
result of the Lithuanian-Russian agreement, it is possible that Russian
antipersonnel mines are transferred through Lithuanian
territory.[6]
There are stockpiles of APMs in Lithuania. A Foreign Ministry official said
the size of the stockpile will be made public only after Lithuania ratifies the
Mine Ban Treaty, but also said that the number of APMs now in stock corresponds
to the amounts allowed in the treaty for training
purposes.[7]
Landmine Problem and Mine Action
Rather frequently, unexploded ammunition,
including landmines from WWII, is found in Lithuania. Large numbers of
explosives are in Rukla, not far from Kaunas. The Lithuanian army has 50
demining specialists. The Army brigade, "Gelezinis Vilkas," has an engineering
platoon in each battalion. The Lithuanian unit of IASFOR within the Danish
battalion has well trained demining specialists with experience in Bosnia. There
are special vehicles for transportation of explosives available. Lithuania has
sufficient equipment to destroy all explosives in Lithuanian
soil.[8] In January 1999
Lithuania suggested its experts could participate in international mine
clearance projects.[9]
There are no awareness education programs in Lithuania. There has been one
casualty reported in Lithuanian armed forces; Lieutenant Valteris received fatal
injuries during his mission in Bosnia. There is a plan to establish a medical
battalion which would have specially trained persons to deal with mine
injuries.[10] Landmine victims
(mostly elder people, who got their injuries during the WWII and a few who
participated in the Afghan war) are receiving support determined by Lithuanian
laws for the disabled.[11]
Lithuania is planning to contribute to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for
Assistance in Mine
Clearance.[12]
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