Finland’s parliament votes yes to NATO

HELSINKI, Might 17 (Reuters) - Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly permitted a proposal to use 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 however the choice was pending parliament's approval.

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

Register

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated the decision was no cause to have a good time as a result of "there may be warfare in Europe".

"Finland's membership in NATO won't change our primary thinking that we'll always seek peaceable options and we're a peace-loving nation that can in the beginning seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he said 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 resulting in it being put to the vote.

"Our border would grow to be the border between the army alliance and Russia. New tensions wouldn't be a risk only during the utility course of however slightly a brand new and everlasting situation of our international and security policy," he stated.

Early on Tuesday, the international affairs committee determined to hitch the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic nation ought to apply for membership.

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

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.