Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the federal government decided officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the choice was pending parliament's approval.

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

Register

International Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no purpose to have fun as a result of "there may be conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary pondering that we will all the time search peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that may firstly seek diplomatic options to each battle," he stated in the course of the debate.

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

"Our border would change into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely through the utility process however fairly a new and permanent condition of our foreign and security policy," he stated.

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

"Having heard a really massive variety of experts and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the federal government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.