Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government determined officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the choice 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 stated the decision was no reason to have fun as a result of "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic pondering that we are going to at all times seek peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost search diplomatic options to each conflict," he said during 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 grow to be the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only through the application course of however rather a brand new and everlasting situation of our foreign and security policy," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee decided to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really giant variety of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.