Finland’s parliament votes sure 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 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 appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no purpose to have a good time as a result of "there's struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental considering that we will at all times search peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will firstly search diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said during the debate.

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

"Our border would develop into the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a danger only in the course of the software course of however fairly a brand new and everlasting condition of our international and safety coverage," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the overseas affairs committee decided to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very large number of consultants and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This determination is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

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

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