Monday, August 11, 2008

Russia/Georgia conflict

Some of you have shared concerns for our adoption plans due to the crisis between Russia and Georgia. Here is an update from our Agency. We are not concerned as our faith is strong.

Dear Families in the Russia Program:
"We are all saddened by the news of violence between Russia and Georgia that has been reported since last week. Our thoughts go out to the innocent families and children affected by this unfortunate unrest.
The US State Department has not issued any further travel warning beyond the June 2008 statement that “travel to the Caucasus region of Russia is dangerous”. None of the regions in which our Agency operates adoption programs are in this area. In addition, we have consulted with our Russian staff and they do not anticipate any immediate impact on international adoption in Russia. Other than the potential for increased security measures with air travel, we do not expect any changes or disruptions to your adoption process.
As you can imagine, the long-term impact on US-Russia relations and the possible implications for international adoption is too difficult to predict at this point. As always, we will continue to keep you updated on any developments that we expect could impact your adoption process.
Please contact your specialist for questions regarding your specific case.
Best regards,
The Russia Team"

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