Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government decided officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the decision 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 motive to have fun because "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental thinking that we'll always seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can initially seek diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said during the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, 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 navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only throughout the software course of however quite a brand new and everlasting situation of our overseas and security coverage," he stated.

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

"Having heard a really massive number of experts and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho advised reporters.

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

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