Russia, U.S. Seek To Resolve Friction On Adoptions
Americans have been adopting Russian children in sizable numbers for two decades, and most of the unions have worked out well. But it remains a sensitive topic in Russia, where officials periodically point to high-profile cases of abuse or other problems.
Now, the two countries are putting the finishing touches on a new agreement governing these adoptions. It will make the process costlier and more time-consuming, but it's designed to address a host of concerns.
Some Russian officials still seem to bristle at the very thought of foreigners adopting Russian children.
In a speech before parliament last month, Pavel Astakhov, President Vladimir Putin's commissioner for children's rights, cited statistics that make the U.S. look like a hotbed of violence against children.
He attacked the notion that Russian orphans will be deprived of a future without foreign adoptions, calling the claim "hysterics" and "lies."
Tightening Standards
Enlarge Misha Japaridze/AP
Artyom Savelyev, now 9, was sent back to Russia on a plane by his adoptive U.S. mother in 2010. The case stirred anger in Russia.