Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized 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 government decided officially 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 application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no cause to rejoice as a result of "there is warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic considering that we are going to all the time search peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that will before everything search diplomatic options to each battle," he stated through the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, amongst them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the choice with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn out to be the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat solely through the application process but quite a new and permanent condition of our overseas and security policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to hitch the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a really large variety of specialists and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho advised reporters.

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

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