The Greece parliament has approved a bill allowing same-sex marriage in the country.
The bill which was passed on Thursday, received overwhelming support from lawmakers, with 176 votes for and 76 against in the 300-seat parliament, after a fiery debate that lasted two days.
In addition to approving same-sex marriage, the lawmakers also granted LGBTQ couples permission to adopt children.
It also hands same-sex couples the rights of a child’s legal guardian. Previously, such rights only applied to biological parents.
After his re-election last year, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece prime minister, pledged to pass the new legislation.
Mitsotakis, who has also been vocal about legalising same-sex unions, told his cabinet that it was a matter of equal rights and not a strange subject, citing similar legislations in other countries.
He said his administration would ensure that there are no “second-class citizens” or “children of a lesser God”.