The draft bill that extends civil partnership agreements to homosexual couples and corrects "gray areas" of the existing law has been posted on Wednesday by the Justice ministry. "Seven years after the establishment of the civil partnership agreement which excluded same-sex couples and a year and a half after our country was convicted at the European Court of Human Rights, we present a modern institutional framework which regulates partnerships for those who chose it”, said the ministry’s statement that accompanied the bill. The bill constitutes a landmark for two reasons, says the ministry. The first is that it lifts discriminations against citizens because of their sexual orientation and allows the institutional recognition of personal relationships, which were far into a gray area of institutional denial, going against the principles of equality, free development of personality and respect for diversity. The second is the overall improvement of the civil partnership which recognizes family ties between parties and strengthens it.