Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted 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 determined formally 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 towards the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no cause to have a good time as a result of "there may be war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary considering that we are going to all the time seek peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can first and foremost seek diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, 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 develop into the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat solely through the software course of but relatively a new and permanent condition of our overseas and security coverage," he stated.

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

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

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

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