US to Romania: We will not give you visas until you unlock international adoptions
28 March 2005
18:17 | 28/03/2011
US to Romania: We will not give you visas until you unlock international adoptions
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In 2005, US Assistant Secretary Maura Harty came to Romania on an official visit where she met with Romanian authorities to discuss international adoptions which at the time had been locked. At some point during the discussions, Maura Harty explicitly said the visa waiver for Romania will not go forward unless international adoption procedures will go forward, according to kamikazeonline.ro.
"During the May 10 and 11 meetings with President Traian B?sescu, Foreign Minister Ungureanu and other government officials, Maura Harty did not encounter any proof to show the government is seriously considering to further engage in this adoption project which is currently on hold. The program is affected by a law forbidding international adoptions, due to be enforced as of January 1. She told her interlocutors she would share this with US families with pending adoption requests in Romania. On the occasion she told Minister Ungureanu that establishing the path towards Romania’s inclusion in the U. S. Visa Waiver (VWP) program will largely depend on the Bucharest authorities’ progress in solving pending international adoption requests,” the Wikileaks document shows.
The document also mentions that, during the meeting with Harty, " President Basescu appeared to have changed his mind and decided to take action”.
"On May 12, he informed the attaché that he has discussed international adoptions with the EU accession commissioner Olli Rehn ad added he will request FM Ungureanu to request the EU the possibility to solve the adoptions. The President also said Romania will take initiative to try and persuade member states such as Germany, Italy, France to quicken the proceedings,” the document also reads.
Recently, the Boc government decided to decrease adoption period for a child with unknown parents to 30 days since the birth certificate was issued. Also, a child who is under state care can be adopted one year after he was left by his parents. The decision however refers to interior adoptions. On March 9 2011, the government decided to keep the rules and regulations for international adoptions.
US to Romania: We will not give you visas until you unlock international adoptions
E-mail Print PDF
In 2005, US Assistant Secretary Maura Harty came to Romania on an official visit where she met with Romanian authorities to discuss international adoptions which at the time had been locked. At some point during the discussions, Maura Harty explicitly said the visa waiver for Romania will not go forward unless international adoption procedures will go forward, according to kamikazeonline.ro.
"During the May 10 and 11 meetings with President Traian B?sescu, Foreign Minister Ungureanu and other government officials, Maura Harty did not encounter any proof to show the government is seriously considering to further engage in this adoption project which is currently on hold. The program is affected by a law forbidding international adoptions, due to be enforced as of January 1. She told her interlocutors she would share this with US families with pending adoption requests in Romania. On the occasion she told Minister Ungureanu that establishing the path towards Romania’s inclusion in the U. S. Visa Waiver (VWP) program will largely depend on the Bucharest authorities’ progress in solving pending international adoption requests,” the Wikileaks document shows.
The document also mentions that, during the meeting with Harty, " President Basescu appeared to have changed his mind and decided to take action”.
"On May 12, he informed the attaché that he has discussed international adoptions with the EU accession commissioner Olli Rehn ad added he will request FM Ungureanu to request the EU the possibility to solve the adoptions. The President also said Romania will take initiative to try and persuade member states such as Germany, Italy, France to quicken the proceedings,” the document also reads.
Recently, the Boc government decided to decrease adoption period for a child with unknown parents to 30 days since the birth certificate was issued. Also, a child who is under state care can be adopted one year after he was left by his parents. The decision however refers to interior adoptions. On March 9 2011, the government decided to keep the rules and regulations for international adoptions.