Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to apply 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 formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however 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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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no cause to have a good time as a result of "there is conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental pondering that we'll at all times search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will in the beginning seek diplomatic options to each conflict," he said through 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 choice with a counter proposal leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would develop into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only in the course of the application course of but fairly a new and permanent condition of our overseas 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 country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive number of experts and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to 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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