Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to use for membership of the NATO military alliance in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government determined officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but 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 mentioned.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the choice was no reason to rejoice because "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic considering that we will at all times seek peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can firstly search diplomatic options to each battle," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, a 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 danger solely throughout the application course of however rather a new and everlasting situation of our international and security coverage," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a really massive number of consultants and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This determination 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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