Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited 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 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 applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no reason to have a good time as a result of "there is battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary pondering that we are going to all the time seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that can at first seek diplomatic options to each conflict," he said throughout 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 turn into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only during the utility course of but relatively a new and permanent condition of our international and security coverage," he said.

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

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

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

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