Kerry Will See to It Personally

The new head of the State Department, John Kerry, intends to personally ensure that local authorities have provided Moscow with all available information regarding adopted Russian children. Both states’ heads of foreign affairs agreed on this during their first meeting. However, on other issues facing the two countries — for example, American missile defense in Europe — there has been no progress.

Head of the Russian Foreign Office, Sergei Lavrov, said that he was satisfied with his first talks with the new American Secretary of State John Kerry, which took place in Berlin. “I felt the desire of my colleague John Kerry to build our relationship as a partnership, not closing our eyes to those issues which cause problems in our relations. I have the feeling that Barack Obama’s second administration, led by John Kerry in the sphere of foreign affairs, is aiming to play a more constructive role in all these ways,” he told journalists.

“I am encouraged to hear that today Secretary of State Kerry and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lavrov had a very productive first meeting,” U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul noted on his Twitter page.

The Problem is Not Made Up

One of the major themes of the talks was the problem of the adoption of Russian orphans by American families.

“We have discussed in detail the problems with the adoption of Russian children. John Kerry has admitted that the problem is not made up… and said that he would personally take all necessary measures to ensure that in this sphere, the U.S. would establish full transparency and accountability to us,” said Lavrov, adding that he considered Kerry’s promise highly important. “We will ensure that these words (of the U.S. secretary of state) are put into action,” Lavrov is quoted as saying in RIA Novosti.

After the news of another Russian child’s death in the U.S., Moscow has repeatedly said that it is insistent on the provision of full information on the conditions of Russian orphans adopted by Americans. “There is a problem with the consular registration of Russian children in the U.S. The information from U.S. authorities about our children is incomplete,” said Konstantin Dolgov, Russian Foreign Ministry commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The diplomat lamented that even the American side did not have full information on these children’s conditions of living.

Last week, the State Duma was forced to make a special address to the U.S. Congress demanding the immediate adoption of comprehensive measures to ensure the security and prevent the violation of rights of Russian children, and to ensure parliamentary control over the implementation of appropriate measures.

“The Declaration is Sufficient”

In addition, both sides discussed the situations in Iran, North Korea and Syria. “These were tense negotiations. The secretary of state and Lavrov will use this opportunity to build co-operative relations on every issue, where this is possible,” State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland is quoted as saying in the Wall Street Journal.

In particular, the secretary of state shared his concerns with Lavrov about the presence of extremists within the Syrian opposition. “Naturally, we have expressed some of our concerns about some of the extremist elements within the opposition. We’ve been clear that in terms of the Syrian opposition, we look to support the opposition that’s democratic-inclusive, that’s looking for a moderate Syria, and obviously, isolate the extremist elements whose vision of Syria is very different,” said Partick Ventrell, spokesman for the State Department, on Tuesday.

In his turn, Lavrov expressed hope that the Syrian opposition, who will soon meet with representatives of Western and some regional countries in Rome, would vote in favor of a dialogue with Damascus. “Regarding Syria, the main thing is that we have reaffirmed our common understanding that continued violence is not tolerable, and our understanding to do everything that depends on Russia and the United States — of course, not everything depends on us, but what does we will do in order to create conditions conducive to the quick start of a dialogue between parliament and the opposition. The Syrians themselves will not be able to solve their problems, but to discuss their decisions it is necessary to sit at the negotiation table,” explained Lavrov.

However, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry denied media reports on the alleged preparation of a declaration from Russia and the U.S. on co-operation in the sphere of missile defense, and how this declaration would be directed against Russian interests. “I read these notices and spoke with their authors. I don’t know what source they have come from, but there is no basis in them. I do not know where this information has come from,” he said.

In his words, there have already been enough declarations on this topic, although they have not provided Russia with security. “If we can agree on a joint system, as Russia has repeatedly offered since 2007, when President Putin visited the U.S., then we need to conduct — not more declarations, of course, but guarantees that will be checked on objective military and technical declarations, guarantees not directed against Russia’s nuclear arsenal,” reinforced the head of the Russian Foreign Office.

Editor’s Note: The quotes, though translated accurately, could not be verified.