As of today, same-sex couples in Estonia can officially marry, "Albanian Post" reported.
Same-sex couples can marry in Estonia, in a historic move that people say brings the Baltic country closer to its Scandinavian neighbors.
The law came into effect on January 1, with same-sex couples able to register their marriage applications online from the New Year.
The first applications will be processed and certified on February 2nd, and applications typically take 1 to 6 months to process.
Estonia became the first former Soviet state to legalize same-sex marriage when Estonia's parliament voted in favor of gender equality in June.
A majority of 55 MPs voted in favor of amending the Family Law, while 34 MPs voted against the bill in the 101-member parliament.
The election victory of Prime Minister Kaya Callas in February, who has since led the country's most progressive coalition government, is seen as a boost to efforts to achieve marriage equality.
"This is an important moment that shows that Estonia is part of Northern Europe," said Keio Sumelt, head of the Baltic Pride project.
"For the LGBTK+ community, this is a very important message from the government, showing that we are finally equal to other couples, that we are legitimate and entitled to the same services and opportunities," Sumelt added.
Perceptions of same-sex marriage have changed in recent years in the largely non-religious country of 1.3 million people.
In a poll conducted by the Estonian Center for Human Rights, 53% of Estonians support same-sex marriage. Ten years ago, this share was only 34%.
Since 2013, the country has legally recognized same-sex civil partnerships and cohabitations.
Corporate sponsorship of this year's edition of Baltic Pride was at a record high, with Estonia's largest telecommunications company Telia, among 16 other businesses, openly funding the festival.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1991 when Estonia broke away from Soviet rule. However, discrimination and violence persist.
Homosexual marriage is opposed by the majority of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia, which makes up about a quarter of the country. /BGNES
