Poland and Baltic nations to pull out from landmines convention

(Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are withdrawing from the Ottawa convention banning anti-personnel mines, the four countries, which all share a border with Russia, said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Quitting the 1997 treaty, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 nations, will allow the countries to start stockpiling landmines again.

"With this decision we are sending a clear message: our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our security needs," the countries' defence ministers said in a joint statement.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik)