Russia should work out precise judicial regulations for settling adoption disputes between Russian citizens and foreigners, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

"Lack of judicial tools (to settle these disputes) leads not only to rows between the persons....contaminating the international relations," Putin told a government meeting.

"Everything must be made to protect the children's rights and settle all these disputes in the judicial field exclusively," he added.

Putin, the president-elect, also stressed that the international adoption of Russian children must be subordinated to giving the youngsters to foster families from within Russia.

The Foreign Ministry signaled in February that Moscow may temporarily suspend the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens following reports of mistreatment allegedly committed by American adoptive parents.

Russia is one of the largest providers of foreign adoptions for U.S. families.