U.S. to finalize talks on child adoption with Russia

The United States hopes to finalize an agreement on child adoptions with Russia this week and sign it in the nearest future, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said.

"Officials have met four times in both Washington and Moscow to negotiate this agreement that provides greater safeguards for children and families in the adoption process between the two countries, and we will anticipate that these talks tomorrow will be - with officials on both sides - reviewing the final text so that there can be a signing in the near future," Assistant Secretary Philip Crowley told a daily press briefing.

Russia and the United States are holding the fifth round of talks on drafting a child adoption agreement in Washington on December 1-3.

The U.S. official also added that the United States hopes to conclude the process during this round of talks with Russia "but the formal agreement will not be signed."

Russian Children`s Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said earlier that he might push for a freeze on adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens if Russia and the United States fail to seal an adoption agreement by early 2011.

Russia is one of the largest sources of adoptions for U.S. families, accounting for about 10 percent of foreign adoptions. The mistreatment of Russian children adopted in the United States has attracted public attention in recent months as a result of a number of highly publicized incidents.

In June, a 7-year-old boy was placed alone on a one-way flight to Moscow by his U.S. adoptive mother with a note claiming he was "psychopathic."

Following the case, Russia threatened to prohibit child adoptions by U.S. citizens until the countries sign an intergovernmental agreement guaranteeing the rights of adopted children.

sections: Politics, World News