US PRESIDENT URGES NOT TO INCLUDE ARMENIA IN LIST OF COUNTRIES WHICH JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT APPLIES TO

US president George Bush has applied the Congress with a message stating that he urges not to include Armenia and other eight CIS countries in the list of the countries, which the Jackson-Vanik amendment applies to. It should be reminded the amendment stipulates restrictions on trade. The sanctions imposed against the Soviet Union on the initiative of Congressmen Jackson and Vanik in 1974 have applied to all the CIS countries after the USSR collapse. In early January, the consideration of the issue on the necessity to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment towards Armenia and a number of CIS countries was started. The repeal of the amendment will save the Armenian exporters from higher customs-tariffs that will make the Armenian industrial and agricultural production more competitive. The opponents of the sanction repeal have explained their view with the wish to achieve the repeal of the restrictions on import of chicken to Russia. Since Russia is also included in the list of the countries that were offered to be saved from sanctions, Armenia has become a victim of a “trade war” between Moscow and Washington.