Italy is the only country that will be able to adopt Russian children because it forbids same-sex marriages, said a Kremlin official.
Pavel Astakhov, children rights commissioner in Moscow, said a bilateral adoption agreement is in place only with Italy because of the country's long-standing refusal to recognize gay marriages.
The news heated the debate about same-sex couples' rights in Italy. Cathy La Torre from the national directorate of left-wing SEL party, called on Letta to condemn Russia's adoption decision claiming, "If these are the results of the bilateral agreements recently stipulated between Italy and Russia, there's very little to be happy about".
Currently, same-sex couples living in Italy have no shared rights to property, social security and inheritance. Since the 2005 regional elections, many Italian regions governed by centre-left coalitions have passed resolutions in support of civil unions, but these actions, however, are merely symbolic as regions do not have legislative power on the matter.
On September 19, 2013, the Camera dei Deputati (House of Deputies) passed a bill against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. On the same day a controversial amendment meant to protect freedom of speech of those opposing same-sex marriage was passed. Now the bill should be approved by Senate, because in Italy for a text to become law, it must receive the vote of both Houses independently in the same form. The Senate could approve, amend or reject the bill but, so far, the debate to discuss the bill has not even started yet.
It is interesting to notice, however, that while adoption is permitted only to married couples who must be only opposite-sex couples in Italy, according to Italian law there are no restrictions on foster care. On November 15, 2013 it was reported that the Court of Bologna chose a gay couple to foster a 3 year-old-child.
