Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to apply 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 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no cause to have a good time because "there is warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our fundamental considering that we are going to all the time search peaceable options and we're a peace-loving nation that will initially search diplomatic solutions to each battle," he said throughout 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 leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn into the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a threat only in the course of the software course of however reasonably a brand new and everlasting situation of our foreign and safety policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee decided to affix the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive variety of specialists and having received 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 advised reporters.

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

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