Halla-aho likely to take over as Foreign Affairs Committee Chair

Main opposition Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) lawmaker Jussi Halla-aho is likely to take over as the Chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee following resignation of Mika Niikko from the committee post, local media reported on Wednesday.

Perussuomalaiset Chairperson Riikka Purra said that they discussed with Halla-aho to take over as the Chair of the committee and he was found positive, according to national broadcaster Yle.

Purra, however, said that the official decision in this regard will be made on Thursday.

The Perussuomalaiset Chair said that the party would be very grad, if Halla-aho takes the charge of the committee chief.

Halla-aho, the immediate past Chair of the party, is well-known for his strict anti-immigration views.

He was also convicted of inciting hatred against an ethnic group in 2012.

Earlier, on Tuesday Perussuomalaiset lawmaker and Chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Mika Niikko announced to resign from his committee post following criticism over his controversial remarks regarding Ukraine and NATO.

Niikko in a twitter post on Tuesday wrote that French President Emmanuel Macron, or another leader, should make a public statement that that Ukraine would not join NATO.