Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no cause to have a good time because "there's conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental pondering that we will at all times search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will at the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he mentioned through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, a 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 grow to be the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a threat solely through the application course of but rather a brand new and everlasting situation of our foreign and security coverage," he stated.

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

"Having heard a really massive variety of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

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

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