The Russian Duma has ratified a bilateral agreement with the United States on the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens.
The agreement was signed in 2011 after a notorious 2010 incident in which an American woman sent her 7-year-old adopted son back to Russia alone saying that he had behavioral problems.
Under the new agreement, all adoptions will have to be processed through Russia-registered agencies.
Those agencies are required to monitor the child's upbringing and file reports with the Russian government.
On the other hand, prospective U.S. adoptive parents would be provided with more complete medical and psychological information about Russian children.
U.S. adoptions of Russian children peaked in 2004 at 5,862.
In 2011, 970 Russian children were adopted by U.S. citizens, according to the U.S. State Department.
The agreement was signed in 2011 after a notorious 2010 incident in which an American woman sent her 7-year-old adopted son back to Russia alone saying that he had behavioral problems.
Under the new agreement, all adoptions will have to be processed through Russia-registered agencies.
Those agencies are required to monitor the child's upbringing and file reports with the Russian government.
On the other hand, prospective U.S. adoptive parents would be provided with more complete medical and psychological information about Russian children.
U.S. adoptions of Russian children peaked in 2004 at 5,862.
In 2011, 970 Russian children were adopted by U.S. citizens, according to the U.S. State Department.