Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to use for membership of the NATO navy alliance in a historic policy 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 but the decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no reason to have fun as a result of "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental considering that we will at all times seek peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may at the beginning search diplomatic solutions to each battle," he mentioned 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 would not be a danger solely through the software course of but moderately a brand new and permanent condition of our foreign and safety coverage," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really massive number of experts 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 determination 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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