Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to use 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 decided officially 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 against the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no motive to celebrate because "there may be battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary thinking that we will at all times seek peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will at the start search diplomatic solutions to every battle," he stated in the course of 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 resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would change into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk solely in the course of the application process however slightly a brand new and everlasting situation of our foreign and security policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to affix the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very large number of specialists 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 told reporters.

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

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