Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited 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 federal government determined officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the choice 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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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no reason to rejoice as a result of "there's conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic considering that we'll all the time search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can at the start search diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the appliance 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 leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only during the application process however reasonably a new and everlasting condition of our international 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 country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a really large number of experts and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal 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; Modifying by Robert Birsel and Alison Williams

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