Lettland's vote in parliament is a direct reaction to the Russian military threat against the country's border after the invasion war in Ukraine.
"A withdrawal from the Ottawa treaty means that our armed forces will have additional maneuvering space in the event of a military threat – so that we can use all available opportunities to defend our citizens", said Inara Murniece, who is the chairman of the foreign affairs committee.
Finland announced on April 1 that it is preparing to leave the Ottawa treaty after an agreement between the President and the government's foreign and security policy ministerial committee.
Earlier, Poland and the two other Baltic countries, Estonia and Lithuania, have also announced that they plan to leave the Ottawa treaty, which prohibits so-called person- and tramp-mines.
In a joint statement in mid-March, NATO and EU member states said that the threat picture has increased significantly, and that a decision shows how willing countries are to defend their borders.
Over 160 countries have signed the treaty, but not the USA and Russia.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says in a statement that the decisions are regrettable, and that it means "a dangerous setback in the protection of civilians in armed conflicts".
