Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized 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 resolution was pending parliament's approval.

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

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no reason to have fun because "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental thinking that we will all the time seek peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that will before everything seek diplomatic options to every battle," he stated during the debate.

Opponents to the applying 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 turn out to be the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only in the course of the utility process but moderately a brand new and everlasting condition of our foreign and security policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to hitch 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 foreign affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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