Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited a proposal to apply 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 decided formally on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the determination 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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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no reason to rejoice because "there's warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic thinking that we'll at all times seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can in the beginning search diplomatic options to every battle," he stated throughout 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 leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would become the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a danger solely throughout the utility course of but slightly a new and everlasting condition of our foreign and security coverage," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a very large number of consultants and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas 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; Modifying by Robert Birsel and Alison Williams

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