Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a proposal to use for membership of the NATO military alliance in a historic coverage shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government decided 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

Register

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no cause to celebrate because "there may be conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our basic thinking that we'll always seek peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that may at first seek diplomatic options to each battle," he stated through 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 decision 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 threat only during the utility course of but relatively a new and permanent condition of our foreign and security policy," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a very giant variety 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 decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.