Finnish parliament approves accession to NATO

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – The Finnish parliament on Wednesday ratified a legislation approving the Nordic country’s accession to NATO.

The majority of Finnish lawmakers voted in favor of the approval and implementation of the North Atlantic Treaty as 184 MPs supported the country’s membership to NATO.

One null vote was cast and seven MPs were absent.

The country officially applied for NATO membership along with Sweden in May last year, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, 2022.

The two country’s membership to NATO is subject to ratification of all 30 member states.