Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved 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 federal government decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the resolution 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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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no cause to celebrate because "there's warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary pondering that we will all the time seek peaceable options and we are a peace-loving nation that may at the start seek diplomatic solutions to every battle," he said throughout 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 decision with a counter proposal leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would change into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk solely through the utility process but relatively a brand new and permanent condition of our international and safety coverage," he said.

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

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

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

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