Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted 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 federal government decided officially 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 applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no reason to celebrate because "there is warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic considering that we are going to all the time search peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that will first and foremost seek diplomatic solutions to each battle," he stated throughout the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, 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 develop into the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely through the software course of however moderately a brand new and permanent condition of our foreign and security policy," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to affix the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very large number of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho advised reporters.

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

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