In total 197 children have been adopted from Russia since 1991: one in 1993, one in 1996, four in 1997, 53 in 1998, 74 in 1999 and 64 in 2000. The figure for 2000 is provisional.
In May 2000, just prior to my pre-arranged visit to Moscow, three new decrees were introduced by the Russian authorities under the federal law No. 94 of June 1998. The resolutions provided for the establishment of an interdepartmental commission to oversee and regulate adoption procedures in the Russian Federation, including adoptions by foreign citizens – resolution 267; the accreditation of foreign adoption agencies operating on the territory of the Russian Federation – resolution 268; and procedures by which a Russian, or foreign citizen, can adopt a Russian child – resolution 275. The coming into force of these regulations meant that foreign agencies currently operating in Russia must be accredited by the Russian authorities. In addition, resolution 275 provided that applicants may only be represented by agencies accredited in their own country for five years or more.