Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted a proposal to use for membership of the NATO army 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 towards the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

Register

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no cause to rejoice because "there is warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic pondering that we are going to always search peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can first and foremost seek diplomatic options to each conflict," he stated through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, among them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the choice with a counter proposal leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would grow to be the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a threat solely through the software process but moderately a brand new and permanent condition of our overseas and safety coverage," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really massive variety of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho advised reporters.

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.