Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized 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 formally 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 against the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no motive to rejoice as a result of "there's struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental considering that we'll always seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that will in the beginning search diplomatic solutions to each battle," he said in the course of 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 turn into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only throughout the software course of however relatively a new and everlasting situation of our foreign and safety policy," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to affix the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very giant variety of consultants and having obtained 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 informed reporters.

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

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