BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia has requested a more than four-year extension under the Ottawa Treaty for removing landmines from across the country, the High Peace Commissioner’s office said on Monday. If the request is granted, Colombia will have until the end of 2025 to remove anti-personnel landmines from its territory. The decision will be made on Nov. 20. The reason for the extension is to buy more time to finish active de-mining operations, High Peace Commissioner Miguel Ceballos said in a statement. “This corresponds to the de-mining of more than 3 million square meters (3.6 million square yards) located in confirmed dangerous areas,” he said. The Ottawa Treaty, of which Colombia and more than 160 other countries are signatories, forbids the manufacture, storage and use of landmines. Extensions of removal targets must be approved by other signatories. The deadline for removing mines from Colombia was set to be March 1, 2021, but Colombia has asked for an extension until Dec. 31, 2025.