Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized 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 determined officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership however the determination was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight towards the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no motive to have fun because "there may be war in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic considering that we are going to all the time search peaceful solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may firstly search diplomatic options to each conflict," he mentioned during the debate.

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

"Our border would develop into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only during the software process however slightly a new and everlasting condition of our foreign and security policy," he mentioned.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee determined to hitch the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.

"Having heard a very giant number of consultants and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision 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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