Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved 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 decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the determination was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no purpose to rejoice as a result of "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our fundamental thinking that we will all the time seek peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will before everything search diplomatic solutions to every battle," he stated throughout the debate.

Opponents to the applying 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 turn out to be the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely in the course of the software process however somewhat a new and permanent situation of our foreign and safety policy," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a really giant number of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho advised reporters.

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

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