Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO navy alliance in a historic policy 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 in opposition to the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no purpose to celebrate because "there is battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary thinking that we are going to at all times seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that may before everything search diplomatic options to every battle," he mentioned through the debate.

Opponents to the application 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 become the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger only throughout the software course of but relatively a new and permanent situation of our foreign and safety policy," 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 large variety of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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

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