Yuri Pavlenko was dismissed (his resignation was accepted) by the Rada (Ukrainian legislature) on November 29 2006. He was the Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports. All adoption processing is done under this Ministry.

Mr Pavlenko seemed to be anti-international adoption because of his focus on domestic adoption.

He was replaced by Viktor Korzh. Mr Korzh is 49 years old and

a PRU [Party of Regions political party] member and retired police general

..........

Korzh is "not a supporter of revolutionary approaches," he told his new subordinates on November 30, according to Interfax.

From: YUSHCHENKO LOSING KEY MINISTERS

Korzh graduated from a Kharkiv medical university in 1982. I cannot tell if he was a practicing doctor (saw and treated patients).

November 16 2005, Korzh was elected President of the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation. He ran against Ukrainian Olympic competitors such as Liudmyla Turyshcheva, Liliya Podkopayeva, Ihor Korobchynskiy and Borys Shahlin for the presidency.

Just an interesting new link between Korzh and Podkopayeva. Liliya completed a domestic Ukrainian adoption (even though she lives in the United States for months at a time) in August 2006. And now Korzh is in charge of all Ukrainian adoptions (and Youth/Sport programs).

Which... now that I think about it.... includes gymnastics. :) Hmmm... sounds like he has some qualifications for the job.

Is he an apparatchik"? I don't know. His job with the police does make me wonder.

I don't believe he will be a negative force on Ukrainian adoption. I will wait and see..... Will he be neutral or positive towards adoption?