Putin instructs govt to eliminate obstacles keeping people from adopting children
NOVO-OGARYOVO. Feb 26 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to eliminate all obstacles keeping Russian citizens from adopting orphaned children.
"The government has made a number of decisions, but some pressing problems have still not been settled. It is necessary to eliminate all obstacles that prevent citizens from adopting children to their family," Putin said at a meeting of the presidential council for priority national projects and demographic policy on Tuesday.
In particular, people wishing to adopt a child may be denied if their housing does not meet sanitary and technical rules and standards, Putin said. "It may seem that this is good. Indeed, if it [housing] doesn't meet [standards], why adopt anyone? But the problem is, there are no such standards for purposes of adoption. General construction standards do exist, but there are none for adoption purposes. Either one of this should be repealed, or the other should be introduced," he said.
"I am urging the government to settle all these problems in the shortest possible time," he said.
