Russia intends to ratify Protocol on use of anti-personnel mines to Convention of 1980.

Russia intends to ratify supplemented Protocol II on mines, which it has signed, to the Convention of 1980 on "inhuman" weapons which regulates the use of anti-personnel mines. The RIA Novosti correspondent was told about it in the information and press department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The second session of the Group of Governmental Experts of the Convention's member-countries, which is now concluding its work in Geneva, was devoted to the discussion of the problems of ground mines which are not anti-personnel mines, and to the observance of the provisions of the Convention and Protocols to it.

As was pointed out in the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia was among the first states which signed and ratified the 1980 Convention and three of its four Protocols.

Moscow highly rates the importance of these documents which help "to lessen the sufferings of both civilians and participants in military actions in the situations of armed conflicts," underscored the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russian experts take an active part in the work of the Group. Moscow stands for "a realistic and well thought out approach" in considering these problems and for "taking into account the preservation of a balance between the observance of the norms of the International Humanitarian Law and the legal interests of the states' defences, as well as their economic, scientific, technological and other peculiarities." The Group will continue its work in December, this year, reported the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.