Estonian authorities intend to ban citizens of Russia, Belarus who are in Estonia from possessing weapons

TALLINN. Oct 5 (Interfax) - The Estonian Interior Ministry is working on amendments to the law on weapons under which citizens of Russia and Belarus will be obligated to hand in personal weapons no later than the end of next year, Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said.

He also said stateless persons will not have their weapons licenses extended anymore.

"My proposal is that the right to possess weapons in the Republic of Estonia will be given to citizens of the republic in the future. Citizens of the European Union and NATO countries will have the same right. But all others will have to give up their weapons," Laanemets said on Vikerraadio News+.

If a Russian citizen plans to possess a weapon in Estonia, he will have to change his Russian citizenship for Estonian, the minister said.

Laanemets said citizens of Russia and Belarus who live in Estonia will be obligated to sell, hand in or render their weapons inoperable by the end of 2023.

Stateless persons, who are mainly Russian-speaking people, can own weapons until their licenses expire or undergo tests for Estonian citizenship to get their licenses extended, the minister said.