Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved 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 determination was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight against the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no cause to have fun because "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic pondering that we'll at all times search peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that may at the start search diplomatic options to each battle," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, 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 become the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only throughout the software course of however quite a brand new and permanent situation of our overseas and safety policy," he stated.

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

"Having heard a very giant variety of consultants and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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

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