Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorised 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 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 against the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no motive to have fun because "there's struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental considering that we are going to at all times seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that will first and foremost search diplomatic options to every battle," he stated in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the application 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 resulting in 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 threat solely during the software course of but rather a new and everlasting condition of our overseas and security coverage," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a very massive number of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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