Finland’s parliament votes sure to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly accredited 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 decided formally 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 in opposition to the applying, Speaker Matti Vanhanen stated.

Register

International Minister Pekka Haavisto mentioned the choice was no motive to have a good time because "there's conflict in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our primary pondering that we'll always seek peaceful options and we are a peace-loving nation that can at the start search diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he mentioned 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 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 would not be a danger solely throughout the application process but somewhat a brand new and permanent situation of our international and safety coverage," he mentioned.

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

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

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.