Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government determined formally 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 against the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no cause to rejoice because "there is conflict in Europe".

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

Opponents to the appliance 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 develop into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only throughout the application course of but moderately a brand new and everlasting condition of our overseas and safety policy," he said.

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 very massive number of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

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

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