Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited 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 decision was pending parliament's approval.

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

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Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no motive to rejoice as a result of "there may be struggle in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our fundamental pondering that we'll always search peaceable solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that can at the start search diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he said 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 choice with a counter proposal resulting in 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 throughout the application process but moderately a brand new and everlasting situation of our international and safety policy," he said.

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

"Having heard a very giant number 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 determination 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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