Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized a proposal to use for membership of the NATO army alliance in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Sauli Niinisto and the 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 towards the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no reason to have a good time because "there may be warfare 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 solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that may in the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to each conflict," he stated through the debate.

Opponents to the appliance included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, among them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the decision 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 wouldn't be a danger only in the course of the software course of however quite a new and everlasting condition of our overseas and safety policy," he stated.

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

"Having heard a very giant variety of consultants and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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