Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted 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 however the decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no purpose to celebrate as a result of "there is struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary considering that we'll at all times seek peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can in the beginning search diplomatic options to each battle," he stated through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, a part of Finland's five-party coalition, among them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the decision with a counter proposal leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would become the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only throughout the application process but slightly a new and everlasting situation of our international and security policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee decided to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

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

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

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