ATHENS

Greece’s parliament voted late Thursday to legalize same-sex civil marriage, making it the first Orthodox Christian country to do so.

Out of the 254 lawmakers who participated in the roll call vote, a majority of 176 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill. Another 76 rejected it, while two abstained and 46 were not present.

“This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today’s Greece -- a progressive and democratic country passionately committed to European values,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on X.

Greece has also become the 16th European Union country to legalize same-sex marriage.