Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO army alliance in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the government decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the decision was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight against the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no cause to have fun because "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic thinking that we are going to at all times seek peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly seek diplomatic options to each conflict," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, a part of Finland's five-party coalition, amongst them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the choice with a counter proposal leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would change into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely throughout the utility process however quite a brand new and permanent condition of our foreign and safety policy," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee decided to affix the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really large number of consultants and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Modifying by Robert Birsel and Alison Williams

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