Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a proposal to use for membership of the NATO navy 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 but the determination was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no reason to have a good time as a result of "there is conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary considering that we'll all the time search peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that will before everything seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he said in the course of 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 would not be a risk solely throughout the application process however fairly a new and everlasting condition of our foreign and safety policy," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the overseas affairs committee decided to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

"Having heard a really giant variety of experts and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters.

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

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