US provides list of more than 60,000 Russian children adopted by Americans – Astakhov

US provides list of more than 60,000 Russian children adopted by Americans – Astakhov

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The US authorities have supplied a list of Russian children adopted by American families during the last few years, Pavel Astakhov, the Children’s Rights Commissioner for the Russian President, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Monday. He also said there will be no exceptions from the Dima Yakovlev law that bans US citizens to adopt Russian orphans.

“There are 61,625 children’s names in the list. These are children adopted officially and brought to the US by immigration visas,” Astakhov said to the Moscow-based newspaper.

At the same time, many children staying in the US are not mentioned in the list, he said. They are living in American families without an eligible status. They came to the country for medical treatment, studying, or holidays and did not return.

Speaking about the intergovernmental consultations on adoption and children’s rights protection that just occurred in Washington, Astakhov said they have finalized the issue of adoption of Russian orphaned children by American citizens.

“Here I think I can say we have cleared it all. As for other questions – and there are many of them – we are working on them, in a normal and efficient regime,” he said.

According to Astakhov, the Russian law that has imposed a ban on American adoptions of Russian orphaned children is not a barrier between the two countries. Humanitarian partnership must evolve within the frames of joint programs and various kinds of assistance, he said.

Earlier in June the Russia’s government received from the US Department of State a diplomatic note that contained a list of 259 orphans that the American side asked to be exceptions from the adoption law. Russia has refused to satisfy the request.

“We have agreed that there will be no more such lists,” Astakhov elaborated on the outcome of the latest consultations.

Voice of Russia

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