Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a proposal to use 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 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 against the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no cause to celebrate because "there may be battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic thinking that we'll at all times search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost search diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said through the debate.

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

"Our border would develop into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a danger only throughout the utility course of but relatively a new and everlasting situation of our foreign and safety coverage," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the overseas affairs committee determined to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very large variety of consultants and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision 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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