The Finnish parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of becoming a member of NATO. The vote was held earlier than Hungary and Türkiye had the prospect to ratify the Nordic nation’s accession to the US-led navy bloc.

The invoice was supported by 184 MPs of the 200-seat parliament, whereas solely seven voted towards it and one abstained. Seven others weren’t current through the vote.

A few of the invoice’s opponents, together with the Left Alliance MPs Markus Mustajarvi and Johannes Yrttiaho, expressed their considerations over Finland not setting any circumstances for its NATO membership relating to a possible deployment of nuclear weapons to its territory.

“I contemplate [it to be] the most important downside with NATO membership … that Finland accepts NATO’s nuclear weapons coverage and on the identical time successfully renounces its non-nuclear standing,” Yrttiaho stated through the debate on Tuesday.

Finland’s overseas and protection ministers then assured the MPs that NATO membership wouldn’t change Helsinki’s stance on nuclear weapons. “I’ve already said earlier than that we aren’t making an attempt to deliver them to Finland, and nobody is making an attempt to drive them right here both,” Finnish Protection Minister Antti Kaikkonen stated.

The outcomes of the vote had been hailed by Finnish parliament speaker Matti Vanhanen, who known as it a “historic resolution” akin to Finland becoming a member of the EU within the Nineties. The parliament head additionally stated that NATO membership as soon as once more positioned Finland “on the map of Europe.”

The vote comes as NATO itself is but to simply accept Finland into its ranks. Whereas 28 members of the bloc formally ratified the bid of the Nordic nation and neighboring Sweden, Hungary and Türkiye are but to take action.

The parliament justified the transfer by saying it wished to finalize its a part of the method earlier than the elections scheduled for early April. The laws should now be signed by the president earlier than it comes into drive.

Final week, Budapest indicated it’d want extra time for its lawmakers to vote on the bids by Sweden and Finland to affix the Western navy bloc. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, MPs began the ratification course of for the Nordic nations’ bids following calls by Hungary’s president for it to be sped up.

Ankara has beforehand expressed reluctance to permit both of the 2 nations to affix NATO, citing their assist for Kurdish teams that Ankara considers to be terrorists. Türkiye, Sweden and Finland signed an settlement final June to handle these considerations and pave the way in which for approving NATO’s enlargement.