Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO army alliance in a historic policy 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 but the determination 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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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no purpose to have a good time because "there's warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic thinking that we'll always search peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can at first seek diplomatic options to every battle," he mentioned 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 decision with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk solely through the application course of however moderately a new and everlasting condition of our international and security policy," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a really large number of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision 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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