Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a proposal to apply 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 decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the choice was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight in opposition to the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no reason to have fun as a result of "there may be conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental considering that we are going to at all times seek peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that may at the start search diplomatic solutions to each conflict," he stated in the course of 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 choice 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 would not be a risk only through the software course of but slightly a new and permanent condition of our overseas and safety policy," he stated.

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

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

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

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