Milan, March 18 (LaPresse) – This morning, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced that, together with Poland, Latvia, and Estonia, it will withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention against the use of anti-personnel mines. "In recent years, military threats to countries bordering Belarus and Russia have significantly increased, which is why it is important to strengthen the deterrence and defense capabilities of these countries," reads a statement from the Lithuanian Ministry, "all opportunities will be used to strengthen deterrence and defend and effectively exercise the freedom of military action."