Russia to present draft child adoption agreement to U.S. delegation

RUSSIA

Russia to present draft child adoption agreement to U.S. delegation

Russia will present a draft inter-governmental agreement on adoption issues to a senior U.S. delegation, which is in the country for discussions, in the next few days, Russian Children's Ombudsman said on Thursday.

"We will pass the draft over today or tomorrow. Some amendments will be made and the final version of the agreement will be given to the delegation before it leaves," Pavel Astakhov said.

The high-ranking U.S. delegation arrived in Russia for talks on adoption issues on Thursday and will hold a preliminary meeting on Friday ahead of key talks, which are planned in Moscow for May 12.

Earlier U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Michael Kirby, who is heading the U.S. delegation, said the U.S. side has not received any proposals in written form on this document

Russia is one of the largest sources of adoptions to the United States, accounting for about 10% of foreign adoptions, but the issue has become controversial in recent years following numerous incidents involving the mistreatment of Russian adopted children in the United States. In the latest case, a U.S. woman sent her seven-year-old adopted son back to Russia on a one-way flight claiming he was "psychopathic."

The boy, Artyom, was taken to a hospital after his arrival in Russia for a medical examination and transferred to a care home on Thursday. The press service of the Russian children's ombudsman said he will stay there for several weeks until a new foster family is found for him.

MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti)