US, Russia seek adoption pact

WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department says the U.S. and Russia have agreed to negotiate an agreement on new adoption rules to resolve concerns that emerged in the furor surrounding an adoptive American mother's return of her Russian child.

Spokesman P.J. Crowley said U.S. and Russian officials had a positive meeting on the matter on Thursday in Moscow and that the U.S. "committed to pursue an agreement that strengthens the processes of adoption of Russian children and American families." He said negotiations would take time but that the U.S. hoped adoptions could continue in the interim.

He said the two sides would next meet in Moscow on May 12. Russia put a hold on many adoptions to the U.S. following an incident this month in which an American woman put her adopted Russian son alone on a plane to Moscow with a note saying she "no longer wishes to parent" the boy.