A U.S. delegation at the Russian-American Forum for Children Rights' Protection in Russia's Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk has reportedly apologized to Russian children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov for comments recently made by a U.S. senator.
The ombudsman's press service says Astakhov responded to the apparent apology on September 23 by saying that "no vulgar and offensive vocabulary should be used in political discussions."
There has been no confirmation of the apology from the U.S. side.
In an interview last week with RFE/RL, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu criticized Astakhov's support for a ban on the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, saying: "He's an ass."
On September 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry's human rights commissioner, Konstantin Dolgov, described Landrieu's statement as "hooliganism."
The following day, in a post on Twitter, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said he hoped Russian-American cooperation in child adoptions will continue, calling it an "important issue."
The ombudsman's press service says Astakhov responded to the apparent apology on September 23 by saying that "no vulgar and offensive vocabulary should be used in political discussions."
There has been no confirmation of the apology from the U.S. side.
In an interview last week with RFE/RL, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu criticized Astakhov's support for a ban on the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, saying: "He's an ass."
On September 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry's human rights commissioner, Konstantin Dolgov, described Landrieu's statement as "hooliganism."
The following day, in a post on Twitter, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said he hoped Russian-American cooperation in child adoptions will continue, calling it an "important issue."
