Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no cause to have fun as a result of "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic considering that we will at all times seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly search diplomatic solutions to each conflict," he mentioned 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 resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would develop into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only through the application process but reasonably a new and permanent situation of our international and security coverage," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the international 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 massive variety of specialists and having acquired 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 told reporters.

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

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