Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the government decided officially 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 mentioned.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no cause to rejoice because "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental thinking that we'll at all times seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost search diplomatic options to every conflict," he stated throughout the debate.

Opponents to the applying included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, amongst them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the decision with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would change into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk solely through the software process however rather a brand new and everlasting 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 ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a really massive variety of specialists and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This determination 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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