Russia, US start consultations on Russian children's adoption

The American delegation headed by Michael Kirby, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for consular affairs, includes experts from the US Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services. Russia's Foreign Ministry, Education Ministry and the children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov represent the Russian side at the talks.

The purpose of the consultations is to discuss the procedures of adoption of Russian orphans by American citizens and to sign an agreement on the adoption of Russian children by foreign citizens. The American side does not object to signing the agreement, but at the same time argues that it does not see clearly why it may be necessary.

The consultations are being held behind the doors, but the sides plan to explain certain aspects later on. They may also give their point of view on the agreement itself.

"Further adoptions of Russian children by American citizens may be possible only after the agreement is signed," the spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Andrei Nesterenko, said on Thursday. "The agreement should specify an effective mechanism of monitoring the adopted children's day-to-day life. This agreement will guarantee the tragic incidents that took place in the past will not have a rerun in the future."

Russia initiated a suspension of adoptions of Russian children by US citizens after the April incident involving Russian boy Artyom Saveliev. The American step-grandmother of the eight year-old boy put him on a flight from Washington to Moscow. Artyom traveled on his own. The boy had a note addressed to Russia's Ministry of Education, written by Artyom's step mother, Torry Ann Hansen. The woman said she rejected the child, because, she claimed, the boy was not mentally balanced, cruel and had great behaviorial problems; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com