Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to apply 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 decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no motive to celebrate as a result of "there's battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary considering that we'll at all times seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can in the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he mentioned 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 army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only during the software process but fairly a brand new and permanent condition of our foreign and safety policy," he stated.

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

"Having heard a really massive number of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This determination 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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