Helsinki - The commander of the Finnish defence forces Monday expressed doubts about Finland signing an international ban against cluster weapons.

"A ban against cluster weapons would seriously weaken Finland's ability to defend itself," Admiral Juhani Kaskeala, commander of the Finnish defence forces, said in a speech.

Kaskeala said that so-called precision weapons would be expensive and are perhaps not as effective as cluster weapons, the Finnish news agency STT.

Finland is not a member of any military alliance, but regardless of that "Finland is responsible for our own defence," the commander said in his speech.

Cluster weapons - criticized for carrying a high risk of maiming or killing civilians - can be launched from the air or via artillery shells and can disperse hundreds of bomblets over a target area.

Unexploded bomblets pose a risk years after a conflict has ended, and have been compared to landmines.

In December, an international treaty was to be signed in Oslo, Norway, aimed at banning the weapons.

Main producers of the weapons - the United States, Israel, China, Russia, India and Pakistan - have said they would not support the convention.

The Finnish government has yet to announce its position regarding cluster weapons. (dpa)