US trade representative to talk in Moscow on Jackson-Vanik repeal

ITAR TASS

US Trade Representative Ron Kirk will discuss in Moscow this week issues of US-Russia bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the context of the forthcoming Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. He will meet with Russian officials, as well as representatives of the business community, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) reported on Sunday.

Kirk will begin his trip to Russia with a visit to Kazan, where a two-day meeting of trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is opening on Monday. They will discuss issues of the development of regional economic integration, trade and investment liberalisation. In addition, the agenda of the meeting includes issues of improving transport and logistical chains, food security and intensive interaction for the strengthening of innovation-based growth.

After the forum, Ambassador Kirk will go to Moscow where on Wednesday he “will hold bilateral meetings with the Russian government” officials. The USTR Office has not specified with whom. The main issues under discussion are likely to be the forthcoming Russia’s accession to the WTO and the repeal by the US Congress of the notorious Jackson-Vanik amendment. Earlier, the US Congress began debate on the final normalisation of trade and economic relations with Russia in light of its WTO accession. For the full normalisation of trade relations with Russia, the US Congress should repeal the discriminatory Jackson-Vanik amendment – a relic of the Cold War that once linked trade-related issues with freedom of emigration from the USSR.

However, many members of the US Congress link the repeal of the amendment with the adoption of the so-called Magnitsky Act which provides for sanctions against officers of Russian law enforcement agencies and judges, involved in the death of lawyer of Hermitage Capital Management investment fund Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow detention centre in November 2009. The initiator of the bill, known as “Sergei Magnitsky Rule Of Law Accountability Act,” is Democratic Senator Benjamin Cardin. According to the bill, these law enforcers and their relatives will be denied entry to the United States and their accounts in US banks will be frozen. Many members of the US Congress, including Senators Kerry and Cardin, consider the adoption of the Magnitsky Act as a prerequisite for the repeal of the discriminatory Jackson-Vanik amendment for Russia. The Obama administration has opposed such condition.

Moscow has warned the US side that the adoption of this bill could have a negative impact on bilateral relations. займ на карту займ срочно без отказов и проверок https://zp-pdl.com/get-quick-online-payday-loan-now.php www.zp-pdl.com займ на карту без отказов круглосуточно