MOSCOW – Russia’s foreign minister says American adoptions of Russian children must be suspended until the two countries reach a final agreement on adoption procedures.
Adoptions have become a highly emotional issue since a Tennessee adoptive mother sent her 7-year-old boy back to Russia unaccompanied in April, saying she was giving him up because of his emotional problems.
American and Russian officials have reached broad agreement on an adoption pact. The Russian parliament this month rejected a motion to halt American adoptions.
But Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told parliament Wednesday that he considers freezing adoptions necessary until the pact is finalized, according to Russian news agencies.