Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to use for membership of the NATO army 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 mentioned.

Register

Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no purpose to rejoice as a result of "there is conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our basic pondering that we will always search peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly search diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said during 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 resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would change into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only during the software course of however fairly a brand new and everlasting situation of our overseas and security coverage," he stated.

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

"Having heard a very giant number of specialists and having received 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 advised reporters.

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.