Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to use 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 but the decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no purpose to celebrate as a result of "there is conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary considering that we will always seek peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that may in the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every battle," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

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

"Our border would turn into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only in the course of the utility process but quite a brand new and permanent situation of our international and safety policy," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive variety of consultants and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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