Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved 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 however the resolution was pending parliament's approval.

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

Register

Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no reason to rejoice as a result of "there may be battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental thinking that we will all the time seek peaceable options and we are a peace-loving nation that can in the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he stated throughout the debate.

Opponents to the application 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 turn out to be the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a danger solely during the software course of however somewhat a brand new and permanent condition of our overseas and safety coverage," he mentioned.

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

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

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.