Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to use for membership of the NATO navy alliance in a historic coverage 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 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 said the decision was no motive to have fun because "there is conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic pondering that we are going to all the time seek peaceable options and we're a peace-loving nation that may first and foremost search diplomatic options to every battle," he said throughout the debate.

Opponents to the application included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, a 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 grow to be the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only during the utility process however somewhat a brand new and permanent condition of our international and security policy," he stated.

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

"Having heard a very massive number of specialists and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the 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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