Lavrov: Russia-US Trade Held Up By Jackson-Vanik Amendment

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia will not fulfill its trade obligations towards the U.S. as a part of the WTO agreement until Washington repeals the Jackson-Vanik amendment, BBC Russian Service reported January 18. 

“When the process of ratification of our joining the WTO is over, the agreements signed by us as a part of WTO membership will not be applied to our trade with the U.S. if the Jackson-Vanik amendment is still in place,” Lavrov said. 

Lavrov noted that the amendment was passed in 1974 in order to “punish” the USSR for its policy on citizens’ movement into and out of the country. According to Lavrov, “the need to remove the amendment has boiled up long ago.”