trip to Moscow this month was another reminder of a needless thorn in Russian-American relations. The Jackson-Vanik Amendment, a relic of the Cold War, continues to apply to Russia. This makes no sense.
I’ll never forget Dec. 20, 1974, the day the U.S. Congress unanimously adopted the amendment to the 1974 Trade Act. It linked the granting of most-favored-nation trade status for non-market economies to their policy on emigration. In essence, it was targeted at the Soviet Union for its restrictions on the emigration of Jews.
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