Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

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

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no cause to have a good time as a result of "there's conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental thinking that we are going to always seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost seek diplomatic options to every battle," he said through the debate.

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

"Our border would change into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely during the application course of but relatively a new and permanent condition of our international and security policy," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should 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 determination is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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

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