Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorised 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 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 towards the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the choice was no purpose to have fun as a result of "there is struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic pondering that we'll at all times seek peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can first and foremost search diplomatic solutions to each battle," he stated in the course of the debate.

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

"Our border would turn into the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only in the course of the application process however relatively a new and permanent situation of our foreign and security coverage," he said.

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

"Having heard a really large number of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the overseas affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This determination 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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