Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted 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 government determined officially 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

Register

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no reason to have a good time because "there is war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary pondering that we'll always search peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can at the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every battle," he stated during 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 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 in the course of the utility course of however quite a new and permanent condition of our foreign and safety policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

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

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.