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Finnish president signs on to scrap landmines
Aug 12, 2011, 14:56 GMT
Helsinki - President Tarja Halonen on Friday signed a government proposal to parliament that Finland should join an international treaty banning the use of landmines.
Over 150 countries have signed the Ottawa Convention that prohibits the 'use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines.'
Stockpiles of landmines must also be destroyed under the terms of the treaty. Finland would - if parliament approves the proposal - destroy its stockpiles by 2016, the government statement said.
International campaigners that worked for the abolition of landmines were awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
Finland was not planning to replace the landmines with cluster munitions, Defence Minister Stefan Wallin said Thursday.
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