Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 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 however the choice was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight against the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no reason to rejoice because "there's war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our fundamental pondering that we will at all times search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can initially search diplomatic options to every conflict," he stated 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 choice with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only in the course of the software course of however somewhat a brand new and everlasting situation of our foreign and safety coverage," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to affix the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very large variety of experts and having obtained 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 decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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