Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorised a proposal to use for membership of the NATO army alliance in a historic coverage 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 resolution was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight in opposition to the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no cause to celebrate because "there's struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental considering that we'll all the time search peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that may in the beginning search diplomatic options to each battle," he stated during the debate.

Opponents to the appliance 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 leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would become the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat solely throughout the application process but fairly a new and everlasting condition of our foreign and security coverage," he said.

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

"Having heard a really massive number of experts and having received 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 informed reporters.

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

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