Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Could 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted 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 government determined officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the determination was pending parliament's approval.

Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight in opposition to the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen mentioned.

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Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the decision was no purpose to celebrate as a result of "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO is not going to change our basic pondering that we are going to always search peaceable solutions and we're a peace-loving nation that can at the beginning search diplomatic options to every battle," he said through the debate.

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

"Our border would become the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only during the utility course of however quite a brand new and permanent condition of our foreign and safety policy," he said.

Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee determined to join the state management in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country ought to apply for membership.

"Having heard a very massive number of specialists and having acquired the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This resolution is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho informed reporters.

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

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