Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO military alliance in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government decided formally 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 towards the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our basic pondering that we are going to at all times seek peaceable options and we're a peace-loving nation that will at the beginning search diplomatic options to every conflict," he said through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance 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 change into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk solely in the course of the software course of but slightly a brand new and permanent condition of our international and security coverage," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive variety of consultants and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international 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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