Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, May 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly authorized 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 however the determination was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight towards the appliance, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no reason to celebrate because "there is battle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our basic considering that we will always search peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that will at first seek diplomatic solutions to each conflict," he said during the debate.

Opponents to the application 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 resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would become the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only throughout the software process but rather a new and everlasting situation of our foreign and safety policy," he mentioned.

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

"Having heard a really giant number of specialists and having obtained the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the international affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland ought to apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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

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