Russia Ambassador warns Congress over human rights bill

The Hill

By Erik Wasson – 04/23/12

Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak on Monday warned Congress that there would be “significant reaction” in Moscow if members try to attach a human rights measure to one granting permanent normal trade relations to his country.

Kislyak told reporters that passage of the bill could “impair the ability” of the U.S. and Russia to work together.

Russia wants Congress to grant it permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) and the White House is pushing Congress to do so before Russia joins the World Trade Organization this year.

At this point, Russia will join the WTO regardless of what Congress does and if Congress does not act U.S. exporters to Russia will be hurt. Kislyak made clear Russia will deny new lower tariffs to U.S. companies if Congress does not grant PNTR, as it would be entitled to do under WTO rules.

Some in Congress want to use the occasion to press Russia on human rights and democratization, however.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) have introduced a bill that specifically addresses the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblower working for a London investment firm who died in suspicious circumstances while imprisoned by Russian authorities in November 2009.

The bill would freeze the assets of officials accused of involvement in Magnitsky’s death. Supporters of the bill want it signed into law before PNTR is taken up, and the administration has entered into talks with them.

Kislyak said the bill is entirely unacceptable because it interferes with Russia’s judiciary.

“It is wrong in its substance, it is wrong in being connected with the idea of providing PNTR to Russia,” he said. “Keep in mind at least in the short term it is more advantageous to U.S. companies to have [PNTR]. If people want to shoot themselves in the foot, go ahead.”

“Who are they to judge how bad the Russia legal system is?” he said. He said the U.S. justice system is deeply flawed.

He dismissed the bill as entirely political.

“We cannot consider it as anything but politically motivated,” he said

Kislyak said he believes the White House fully backs PNTR for Russia and hopes that “reason” will prevail.

Overall, the ambassador said he is not worried about any backsliding in the “reset” of relations with Russia.

That reset has been tested recently by Russia’s refusal to back a United Nations condemnation of Syria’s President Assad who has been massacring his political opponents.

The ambassador defended Russia’s position on Syria at length, and argued that any Russia arms being used by the Assad regime against protesters were not recently delivered to Syria by Russia. He argued Russia wants to see Syria’s political problems solved internally, not imposed from the outside.

Asked to react to a recent comment by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney that Russia is a top “geopolitical foe,” the ambassador declined to comment other than to say the idea that Russia is a foe is a Cold War relic. unshaven girls hairy girl zp-pdl.com https://zp-pdl.com займы на карту