Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorised a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO navy alliance in a historic coverage 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 resolution was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no reason to have a good time as a result of "there may be struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic pondering that we will all the time seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can at first seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he stated through the debate.

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

"Our border would grow to be the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only during the utility process however fairly a brand new and everlasting condition of our foreign and security policy," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a very giant variety of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the federal 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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