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U.S. Jackson-Vanik amendment may be abolished this year - Lavrov

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The United States may abolish the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which restricted trade with the former Soviet Union and remains in force for Russia, this year, the Russian foreign minister said Saturday.
MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - The United States may abolish the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which restricted trade with the former Soviet Union and remains in force for Russia, this year, the Russian foreign minister said Saturday.

The 1974 Jackson-Vanik Amendment links U.S. trade benefits, known as Normal Trade Relations (NTR), to the emigration and human rights policies of Communist or formerly Communist countries. The amendment has been lifted for many of Russia's former Communist allies.

Sergei Lavrov said that Washington's top officials "...admit that the situation is really incoherent, which is part of their political system, but assured us that they will do everything possible to abolish the amendment this year."

Lavrov returned to Moscow Saturday morning from Washington, where he attended the meeting of the Quartet of Middle East mediators comprising the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States.

The Russian minister said he discussed the amendment with U.S. President George Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, senators and other top officials, who, he added, all agreed that there were no reasons for preserving this amendment.

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