Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

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

President Sauli Niinisto and the government determined formally 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.

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International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no reason to have a good time because "there may be conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our primary pondering that we are going to all the time seek peaceful options and we're a peace-loving nation that will at first seek diplomatic options to each conflict," he mentioned in the course of the debate.

Opponents to the applying 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 leading to it being put to the vote.

"Our border would turn into the border between the navy alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a danger solely through the utility process but reasonably a brand new and permanent situation of our foreign and security coverage," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the overseas affairs committee determined to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation should apply for membership.

"Having heard a really giant number of experts 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 choice is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho instructed reporters.

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

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