Finland’s parliament votes yes 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 coverage shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government decided officially 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no motive to have a good time because "there's warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental considering that we'll always search peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost seek diplomatic options 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, among them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the choice with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would become the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk solely throughout the software course of however somewhat a brand new and permanent situation of our overseas and safety policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive variety of consultants and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision 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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