Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to use 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 officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the determination was pending parliament's approval.

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no reason to celebrate because "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our primary pondering that we'll at all times seek peaceable options and we're a peace-loving nation that will first and foremost search diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he stated through the debate.

Opponents to the application 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 military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a threat solely through the application course of but fairly a brand new and everlasting condition of our foreign and safety coverage," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee determined to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

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