Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted 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 determined formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no motive to celebrate as a result of "there's struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic pondering that we will at all times search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may firstly seek diplomatic solutions to each conflict," he mentioned in the course of 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 grow to be the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only during the application course of however relatively a new and permanent situation of our overseas and security coverage," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee determined to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really massive variety of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the federal 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; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alison Williams

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