Russia is going to suspend the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens until the Russian-U.S. adoption deal comes into force, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. 

      Moscow stands for stopping adoption procedures between two countries following series of incidents involving the mistreatment of adopted Russian children in the United States.

      As it said in the Foreign Ministry's official statement, such forced measures were taken because of "the incessant series of crimes in the United States against adopted Russian children". Then it said that "Russian Foreign Ministry rules that the adoption procedures for the U.S. citizens should be suspended until the Russian-U.S. adoption deal, signed on July 13, 2011, comes into force".

      Russia and the United States signed a bilateral adoption agreement in July 2011. It includes such important points as psychological testing of the adoptive parents or an increased control over adoption agencies. 

      Russia is one of the largest sources of foreign adoptions for U.S. families. For the last twenty years, over 60,000 children born in Russia have been adopted by families in the United States. As of January, 2011, 17 Russian children adopted by U.S. parents have died as a result of child abuse. The sentences for the crimes were usually mild. 

      The Foreign Ministry also pledged to toughen requirements for other foreign adoptive families. 

Sources: polit.ru MK.ru Image: uralweb.ru

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