Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposal to use for membership of the NATO military 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 however the choice was pending parliament's approval.

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

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

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental pondering that we'll at all times seek peaceable options and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly seek diplomatic options to every conflict," he said 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 change into the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk solely through the utility process but quite a brand new and everlasting condition of our overseas and safety coverage," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee decided to join the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive number of consultants 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 determination is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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