By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) - Sweden has no “immediate plans” to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel land mines, the country’s defense minister said Monday, amid renewed debate following similar moves by neighboring countries.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that the Swedish Armed Forces has asked the government to clarify whether the ban on anti-personnel mines should be lifted, with Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson urging that the issue be addressed urgently. Defense Minister Pal Jonson said there are currently no plans to leave the treaty.
The comments come after Finland, Poland and the Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- announced last year that they were withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty. Finnish soldiers were also allowed to handle anti-personnel mines earlier this month, according to reports.
Claesson has argued that Sweden needs to reassess the broader implications of the treaty, particularly how it is embedded in Swedish legislation, as the Swedish Armed Forces prepare to lead a NATO base in Finland.
“We have received information from the Armed Forces and are now reviewing what it means for our NATO membership, since it concerns both the Baltic countries and Finland, with whom we have joint defense planning,” Jonson was quoted by SVT as saying.
Political reactions in Sweden remain divided. Joar Forssell, the Liberals’ foreign policy spokesperson, said he hopes the government will soon issue a new statement on the matter, arguing that Sweden must be able to defend its freedom and use the tools necessary to do so.
Peter Hultqvist, the Social Democrats’ defense policy spokesperson, said Sweden does not need to leave the treaty, noting that Finland’s decision was driven largely by its border with Russia.
“We do not have the same border area as they have,” Hultqvist said.