Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to use 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 decided 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no motive to have a good time as a result of "there's conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary thinking that we will at all times search peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly search diplomatic options to every battle," he said through the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, among 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 threat only in the course of the application process however quite a new and everlasting condition of our international and security coverage," he stated.

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

"Having heard a very large variety of experts 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 instructed reporters.

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

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